Awakening: A Wizard of Oz Continuation
by Tori7
Summary: After Dorothy returns home after her second journey to Oz when she helps her friends rescue the Wizard, tragedy strikes, and Dorothy's past is revealed! Act 1 chronicles Dorothy's life, Act 2 continues the story of Dorothy's daughter. COMPLETED!
1. Harsh Reality

There she stood, Dorothy Gale, she had returned alive again. Truly a miracle! Her friends cried with her after their four month journey came to an end. She closed her eyes, and remembered how it felt when the Wizard was rescued and returned to the Emerald City. A smile and a tear met at the same time and combined as she opened her eyes. None of that mattered now.  
  
"Toto," she whispered. "We're home!"   
  
The dog didn't move however, he just sat there.   
  
"Come on boy, let's go!"   
  
He sat motionless. Dorothy then noticed that he was staring at her feet, she looked down and gasped.   
  
"The ruby slippers! I can go back..."   
  
Toto then got up and ran towards the house.   
  
"Good idea." rejoiced his owner.   
  
Emily Gale looked up from her work to see Dorothy standing there, tears streaming down her cheeks, a smile on her face. She dropped her work and ran to the child she had raised.  
  
"Oh my dear child," said Aunt Em. "We thought you were dead!"   
  
"I wasn't dead...just lost."   
  
There was no point in trying to explain. The last time she tried to convince them, they did not believe her.   
  
Life began to return to normal on the Kansas farm. Some people believe that everything happens for a reason, and really that's where this story begins.   
  
"MR. GALE!!!!" came the cries of Hunk and Hickory in unison from the field. Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry looked up from their breakfasts and ran out to the field as fast as their feet would allow. Suddenly, Dorothy's legs refused to move and she tripped over herself.  
  
Toto ran up to his mistress and began to whimper, worrying about her.   
  
"Something bad has happened." she said to herself. "I can feel it!"   
  
Dorothy got up despite the screams of pain in her legs and ran to find Zeke had broken his leg. She let out a sigh and ran to his side.  
  
"Zeke," said Dorothy kneeling next to him. "What happened?"   
  
"There was a stampede of horses, one of them outran me and stepped on my leg! I'm sorry Mr. Gale, I know you needed my help for the harvest, but I don't think I'll be of much use now."   
  
Zeke hung his head in defeat.   
  
"Don't worry about it Zeke, you'll rest until you're better, we'll manage."   
  
Henry replied. Dorothy stood.   
  
"I'll help Uncle Henry."   
  
"No Dorothy." Aunt Em answered. "It's too dangerous for you to be working in the fields. Besides, it's unladylike."   
  
Uncle Henry shook his head.   
  
"Em, I think it would be good for her to work a little. Maybe she'll learn something. Dorothy, it would be a great help if you'd take Zeke's place for a while. You think you're up for it?"   
  
"Mr. Gale?" said Hunk. "I don't know about this, what if she gets hurt? She's only fifteen years old, it's hard work!"   
  
"Yes," said Hickory. "What if she dehydrates and passes out? What if we couldn't get there in time?"   
  
"I'm not that weak am I?" said Dorothy cocking an eyebrow. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, living on my own has taught me so much. I would be honored to help Uncle Henry."   
  
The proud uncle patted Dorothy on the back, while Hickory and Hunk exchanged worried looks and helped Zeke back to the house.  
  
The next day, Dorothy began her work. She went out into the fields before any of her family members had even awakened. Looking around, she knew she had a rough day ahead. Dorothy rolled up her sleeves and went to work.   
  
When Hickory and Hunk got out to the fields, they were impressed to see Dorothy had already finished picking the corn and had started on the cotton. By afternoon when it was almost time for lunch, she was bleeding heavily on her face and hands having cut herself on the cotton plants.   
  
Meanwhile, Hickory and Hunk took a brake from their plowing to have a drink of water.   
  
"What do you think about Dorothy working in the fields?" asked Hunk.   
  
"I think she has a great passion." replied Hickory. "You can tell that she would do anything for Em and Henry. What do you think?"   
  
"Oh, I agree with you on that." said Hunk. "It's just....I don't know....I have a bad feeling. Something's not right."   
  
Hickory nodded slowly, but shrugged it off.   
  
"Come on, we'd better go get Dorothy for lunch."   
  
The cotton and corn had all been gathered. Dorothy put it in baskets and buckets.   
  
'I'm going to have to make a whole lot of trips to get this all back to the house!' she thought.   
  
"Wow!" said Hickory. "You got a lot of work done Dorothy. Good job!"   
  
She turned around to face her friends and they gasped when they saw blood trickling down her delicate face.   
  
"Oh my God!" said Hunk gently taking her face in his hands. "How'd you manage that?"   
  
"I'm not exactly sure. I guess I'll have to be more careful when working with the cotton from now on."   
  
Hunk smiled and nodded at her determination. Dorothy grabbed two of the heavy buckets and started walking to the house while Hunk and Hickory took the rest. As the house began to rise over the hills, they stopped.   
  
Dorothy dropped the buckets and began running toward the house, her mind numb. "Dorothy, no!" screamed Hunk. "Come back!"   
  
They followed after her toward the farm house, which was engulfed in flames.   
  
She ran as fast as humanly possible.   
  
'It can't be!' Dorothy's mind screamed. 'I have to do something!'   
  
With all her strength, Dorothy threw herself through the front window. She kept her face down as she hit the glass. To Dorothy, everything was in slow motion, and the only sound to be heard was the sound of her breathing. When the glass had finished cutting through her skin, Dorothy landed hard on the floor of her house which become hell on earth, and the world beneath her shattered.  
  
She felt her way through. She heard Toto barking. Dorothy felt blood drip from her forehead and pain began to run through her body like electric shocks. The smoke began to fill her lungs and so Dorothy got on her hands and knees and began to crawl through her house allowing oxygen to once again flood her chest.   
  
Feeling desperate and helpless, she began to scream out for them.   
  
"Aunt (*cough*) Em! Uncle Henry, (*cough* *cough*) where are you? PLEASE, ANSWER ME!"   
  
Dorothy heard someone call out to her faintly and she crawled over to find Uncle Henry on the ground next to Aunt Em, who lay motionless and unconscious.   
  
"Dorothy," he whispered. "Go, I want you to get out."   
  
"NO!" she replied. "I won't leave you! I can get you out of here. Oh no! AUNT EM!"   
  
Henry grabbed her arms. "Dorothy listen to me, be a good girl and do what you're told. I'm not asking you I'm telling you to get out."   
  
"But..."   
  
"NOW!"   
  
Dorothy broke down and cried on her uncle's chest. She stood defeated and began feeling her way through the heavy smoke.   
  
Dorothy felt alone, she had to follow his orders, she couldn't disobey. By the time she could see the rays of light from outside, doubts made their way to her heart. Heart took over, and Dorothy turned around and went back.   
  
When she'd found the right spot again, however, it was already taken over by flames...she knew they were gone. Dorothy fell amongst the flames and vowed not to move. She knew it wasn't what they wanted, but that was irrelevant now. The only family she'd ever known was dead, what was there to survive for now? Then she remembered!   
  
Suddenly, the ruby slippers disappeared and Dorothy passed out among the flames.  
  
It had happened before when she was in danger, and it happened again. Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion stood in the main hall of the Emerald City now with the ruby slippers in their hands.   
  
"What should we do?" said Lion. "This is terrible, worse than terrible even!"   
  
"We have to go find her." replied Scarecrow. He tapped the heels in his hands together and said, "Take us to Dorothy!" They began to glow and then everything grew dark.  
  
When they could see again, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion realized what had happened. They were in Kansas, that they could tell. They ran and hid behind a bush and watched in horror. But when they looked around, they saw no sign of Dorothy.   
  
"Oh no!" said Tin Man. "She must still be in there!"   
  
They looked up to see a man pull someone out of the house, and relief came to them when they realized it was Dorothy.  
  
Hunk covered her in a blanket as she opened her eyes and Dorothy began to shiver. It was raining now, and the fire was almost completely burned out, but how long Dorothy had been in the house was unclear to her. Toto, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry were gone, she'd failed them.   
  
Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion went back to Oz and sent the slippers back to Dorothy.   
  
"Do you think she'll be ok Scarecrow?" asked Lion.   
  
"I hope so Lion." he replied.   
  
The ruby slippers had reappeared on her feet. Dorothy could feel them come back and knew that her friends had checked on her. It gave her a warm feeling of confidence that there was still someone who loved her. Dorothy then closed her eyes and remembered.  
  
...Dorothy had fallen amongst the smoke and flames. This was her worst nightmare. Then suddenly, light flooded the darkness, the door had been kicked down. Strong, warm arms wrapped around Dorothy and pulled her to salvation once more. It was Hunk! Hickory and a limping Zeke stood outside waiting for her with a blanket and support for their Dorothy.   
  
They had all seen Dorothy grow up into a beautiful young woman, only to crash among flames in defeat at the loss of the only family she'd ever known. As for her actual family, no one could ever answer her questions, and it gave them a heavy feeling of guilt. So now, Hunk, Hickory and Zeke were all she had, or so they thought.   
  
For days, Dorothy refused to leave. She would simply lie wrapped in a blanket outside the wreckage of her once beloved home crying...hurting...regreting. The others stayed in the neighbor's house two miles off to the west. They'd go to her during the day and try to get her to eat or at least to move, but Dorothy refused.   
  
One night...the songs played...she heard them...flashes of light and feelings of love... Then reality flashed back in front of her eyes. Dorothy sat up, and knew what she had to do. A note was written to the last loved ones that she had on the dreary Kansas prairie.  
  
"I've lost everything," said Dorothy to herself. "But now maybe I can gain some of it back."   
  
*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*   
  
"There's no place like Oz, there's no place like Oz!"   
  
And into the darkness of the night, Dorothy Gale vanished.   
  
The next morning, Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke (who was now on homemade crutches) went again to try to get Dorothy to get up. But when they reached the spot she had been, there was nothing but a note. Hunk bent down and took it in his hands and stood to read it with his comrades. It read:  
  
My Dearest Friends,  
  
I am going through a tremendous pain right now, and I must listen to my heart. I've lost so much, and I think now I can gain some of it back. Thank you for always being there for me, I love you so very much. I want you to build a new house, hire some more hands, and run the farm. I leave it to you now, I know you'll see to it that it's taken care of. Just know this my friends, you will always be in my heart, and you are my family, I've never doubted that for a second! Never! On my eighteenth birthday, you will see me again. So, I'll see you soon my friends! Keep me in your prayers, as I will pray for you.  
  
Love always,   
  
~Your Dorothy~  
  
The thought of Dorothy leaving them caused Hunk, Hickory and Zeke to cry tears of sorrow.   
  
"She says she'll be back," said Hickory. "Maybe she will!"   
  
"Yeah Hunk! I know you're worried, but she's strong. She'll come back."   
  
"But where did she go?" asked Hunk. "Who's going to look after her? ::sighs:: I guess we'll just have to pray that Dorothy keeps her word."   
  
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Ok, that's it for now. I hope you're enjoying this! I'm working very hard. Thanks, more is coming, I promise!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	2. New Life

Dorothy landed hard on the yellow brick road. It was raining in Oz, Dorothy's braids had fallen out and her thigh-length, brown, straight hair cascaded around her.   
  
"This will be my home now." she said.   
  
Dorothy walked through the wetness of the night toward the Emerald City. She entered the front gates and requested an immediate audience with the Wizard.  
  
Meanwhile, the Wizard talked with Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. They told him what they saw when they had followed the ruby slippers.   
  
"Well," he said. "I must say I share your worry, but what of her family? Did you see any of them?"   
  
They shook their heads.   
  
"I don't know what happened to Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, all I know is I saw her being pulled away."   
  
Suddenly there came a knock at the door.   
  
"Enter." said the Wizard.   
  
A soldier entered the room.  
  
"A young girl wishes to see all of you. Shall I allow her in?"   
  
"It's probably Dorothy, Wizard." said Tin Man.  
  
"Yes, let her in!" said the Wizard.   
  
A wet, blood stained, and shivering Dorothy walked in the large doors.   
  
"Dorothy!" Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion ran to her, but she put a hand out to stop them.   
  
"I'm very wet, I wouldn't want to cause damage to Tin Man. How are you my friends, I've missed you so!" said Dorothy.   
  
She put on a fake smile, but they saw through it and she knew.   
  
"I know you were there..." tears began to fill her eyes as they began to sting.   
  
"Oh, Wizard! I'm so glad to see you! How are things now that you're back in the Emerald City?"   
  
They knew what Dorothy was doing, she was doing anything to stay away from the subject that needed to be discussed.   
  
"Things are fine my dear." replied the Wizard. "But what I want to know is how things are for you."   
  
Dorothy put her head down. Her shoulders began to shake and a sparkling tear fell to the marble floor. Dorothy's friends waited until she got her tears under control and they sat with her at the royal table.   
  
"Dorothy?" asked Lion. She looked up at him and smiled.   
  
"Yes, Lion?"   
  
"Tell us what happened."   
  
Her smile vanished and she took a long, deep breath. As Dorothy explained the situation, she fought to hold back the waterfall of tears threatening to spill over.  
  
"And so," Dorothy painfully concluded. "Toto, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, are...well, they are...gone." She looked away.   
  
The Wizard of Oz gave a heavy sigh at the end of Dorothy's tragic tale.  
  
"Is there anything we can do?" he asked.   
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, that's why I came." Dorothy replied. "I have a favor to ask of you my friends. Now that my family is gone, I have nothing left in Kansas but painful memories that will surely haunt me forever if I stay. I wanted to know...if I...could live in Oz...that is, if you'll have me of course!"   
  
"Of course Dorothy!" said Scarecrow. "You're always welcome here!"   
  
"You're going to live here with us?" asked Lion.   
  
"I guess so Lion." replied Dorothy with a warm smile, the first one they'd seen all day that she hadn't struggled to hold.  
  
And so, Dorothy lived in the Emerald City. Weeks passed, and she'd almost completely healed from her terrible experience, both physically and mentally. Dorothy stopped trying to make herself believe that it was her fault. One night, there was a knock at her bedroom door.   
  
"Come in!" she said.   
  
In walked her best friend Angelina, a servant in the Emerald City.   
  
"Dorothy, dinner is ready."   
  
"Oh, thank you Angelina."   
  
Dorothy stood and walked out of her tidy bedroom. Angelina took a good look at her and smiled. Even though Dorothy had only been there a month, things had clearly changed in the atmosphere of the city, and even in Dorothy herself. Angelina was two years older than her, but she felt so close to her, and the reason was obvious to only Angelina...  
  
Dorothy's hair was pulled back in a low ponytail held by a velvet bow this evening. Changing her appearance was another way to ease the pain of the past. She was wearing a beautiful red velvet dress that she'd sewn out of the fabric Angelina had given her.   
  
'My goodness,' Angelina thought. 'Dorothy has got quite the future ahead of her. If only she knew...oh, but I could never tell her...could I?' Angelina shook her head and closed Dorothy's door behind her.   
  
At the dinner table sat the whole lot of them, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy, and the Wizard. Occasionally Angelina would join them, but she was not feeling well that night...or so she claimed.   
  
"Dorothy," said Scarecrow. "Did you have schools in Kansas?"   
  
Dorothy nodded.   
  
"Yes, of course. Why do you ask Scarecrow?"   
  
Scarecrow handed her an envelope.  
  
Dorothy looked at it for a moment reproachfully and a little taken back.   
  
'A letter?' she thought. 'Who would write to me? I don't have many friends outside the Emerald City, not that know I'm here anyway.'   
  
Dorothy turned it to the front and read the return address which said: THE JOSEPH MANNINO SCHOOL FOR SORCERY. Dorothy's eyes widened in anticipation, she opened the letter as her friends watched.  
  
She took a minute to read.   
  
"What does it say Dorothy?" asked Tin Man.   
  
She looked around the table.   
  
"I got in to this school! It says they accept my aplication...but...I never applied! And they called me...Dorothy Castine. What in the world is going on?"   
  
"Hmm....Castine." the Wizard thought out loud.   
  
"Do you know something that I don't about this?"   
  
"No dear, I'm afraid not." replied the Wizard.  
  
Angelina stood outside the door of the dining hall...listening...  
  
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Oki...that's it for now. Give me lots of feedback and reviews! For the Oz fans out there...I LOVE YOU! And for those of you who aren't...you're ok too! I hope you all get a chance to see the cartoon. ^_^ Hang on, more's coming!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	3. Starting Over

Unsure, Dorothy packed her things. There was a three day seminar in this school for first years. She put her things neatly into her suitcase as a knock came at the door. Dorothy looked up to see Angelina standing in the doorway. She was holding something behind her back as she approached the bed.  
  
"Are you excited about going to school?" Angelina asked quietly.  
  
"I'm not sure how I feel. This is all so sudden and new. It's strange, I never applied, and yet..."  
  
"Dorothy!" Angelina interrupted suddenly. Dorothy saw her put a package on the bed and then her attention was brought back in focus as Angelina took both of Dorothy's hands in her own.  
  
"It's probably best that you don't ask questions. Never question where fate brings you. And...Dorothy...promise me that you won't talk to strangers, no matter what."   
  
Dorothy chuckled.  
  
"That will be rather hard don't you think? I'm bound to meet someone new!"  
  
"That's not what I mean...I...just...please just be careful my friend. I cannot lose you...not now."  
  
Angelina hugged Dorothy tight, as if something would suddenly snatch her away. Dorothy hugged her back and said,  
  
"What's in the box?"  
  
"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot. This is a little good luck present."  
  
Dorothy opened the box and inside was a glass bird. The little bird stood on a glass branch which rested on a circular music box. When she wound it up, an old, familiar tune emitted from within the tiny bird.  
  
"Oh Angelina, this is beautiful! Thank you so much!"  
  
They hugged, and Angelina looked around the room suspiciously as she walked out the door.  
  
Later that night, Dorothy went to the royal library to get some more information on the school for sorcery, and learned that it was started by a man called Joseph Mannino who was a famous and powerful sorcerer. He ended up dying at the age of sixty-seven, trying to defend the king and queen of the Rose Kingdom in the East, which was destroyed and that's when the East was overthrown by the Wicked Witch of the East.   
  
'There are so many things I have yet to learn about Oz.' she thought.   
  
There were so many books in the royal library, it sparked her curiosity. One book in particular caught Dorothy's eye. It appeared to be very old and it was covered in a thick layer of dust. She picked it up just as Angelina walked in. Her eyes widened as Dorothy opened the book and the signs began to appear.  
  
"No Dorothy!" she yelled as Dorothy slammed the book closed.   
  
"Is there something wrong Angelina? I'm sorry, is this book off limits or something?"   
  
"Yes, it's very VERY off limits in here, we must go now!"   
  
Dorothy quickly put the books she'd used and followed Angelina out of the library. Angelina looked over her shoulder, and a chill went down her spine as the eyes glared back at her from within the book.   
  
....It was time to leave now for the Joseph Mannino School For Sorcery. The seminar for first years was to begin in five minutes. Dorothy took her suitcase into her hands and prepared for her departure.   
  
"We'll miss you Dorothy!" said Lion drying a tear with his tail.  
  
"Oh Lion, I'll only be gone for three days, I'm sure you'll be fine without me!"   
  
Dorothy kissed her friends goodbye.   
  
"Dorothy! Oh thank goodness you haven't left yet, I wanted to say goodbye!"   
  
"Angelina! Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you this morning!"   
  
"I've been with Momb....I mean, around! Here and there. Well, anyway, goodbye dear friend! Listen carefully to your professors, and take lots of notes! Don't forget anything when you come back, oh! Do you have your coat?"   
  
"Yes Angelina, I have it."  
  
"All right then. You'd better be on your way!" said the Wizard.   
  
"Yes, you can't be late on your first day." added Scarecrow.   
  
"Well, goodbye!"   
  
Her friends gave a last farewell before Dorothy clicked her heals three times and disappeared.   
  
....There she stood, Dorothy Gale, about to enter THE best center of magical education in Oz. She closed her eyes, and remembered that last month. The good, the bad, they were all combined into this one moment, they had all existed for this brief moment of stress before the happiness was supposed to shower down. That's how it always went, it seemed.   
  
She entered, scared and feeling alone. Suddenly, Dorothy found herself being pushed to the ground!  
  
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I'm so nervous, I must not have been watching where I was going. Please forgive me miss!"   
  
A girl with black and red hair helped Dorothy up.   
  
"I'm Alyssa Callo."   
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you Alyssa! I'm Dorothy."   
  
Alyssa's eyes squinted.  
  
"Are you Dorothy Gale?"   
  
"Yes, I am."   
  
"I knew it! Welcome to Munchkin Territory. This place has no real name, it's just a city-state of the Munchkin polis. This is so amazing! Come on, let's go inside."   
  
The two new friends walked in the doors of the magnificent school.  
  
There was a beginning ceremony where the students met their teachers, got their schedules and room assignments, and had a chance to meet other students.   
  
"Dorothy, look! We're roommates! Oh, how wonderful! There are two other people too, it seems we have one of the bigger rooms. How nice that we're making all these new friends."   
  
Dorothy took a quick look around the main hall at the new first years. At her school house in Kansas, she didn't have many friends, none that she was really close to anyway.   
  
"Do you know anybody here Alyssa?" asked Dorothy.   
  
"Nope! Except my brother Dave and a couple of his friends of course, but they're second year students so they're not coming until next week when everyone is here."   
  
Everyone was ushered to the dormitories. One of the teachers grabbed Dorothy's arm and pulled her aside.  
  
"You'll find my dear," she said. "That this is where life truly begins."  
  
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Ok, that's it for now everybody! I REALLY hope you are enjoying this thus far! LOTS OF FEEDBACK! My screen name is NeoTori7688@aol.com so e-mail and lots of reviews people. The next chapter is coming soon.  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	4. Friends and Enemies Alike

Dorothy and Alyssa walked into their new room. Two other girls were there and they politely introduced themselves.   
  
"Hi! I'm Sarah!"   
  
Sarah was a girl a little bit shorter than Dorothy who stood a healthy five feet and three inches.   
  
"And I''m Alisha."   
  
This girl was quite a bit taller than both Sarah and Dorothy, six feet she guessed. She was dark skinned and looked to be the tough-girl type. It was clear that Alyssa was the smallest of the group, standing a mere five feet.  
  
The girls chatted as the hours flew. Sarah began the conversation.   
  
"Ok, if we're going to live together, we should probably know something about each other. Let's hear it Alisha, tell us a little about yourself!"   
  
Alisha smiled.   
  
"All right, if you insist!" the girls giggled.  
  
"I was born in the Quadling marshes down south. My family moved to the Cloth Hills in the East and now I'm here. That's about it."   
  
"What of your family?"   
  
Alisha looked down for a moment, and then resumed her speaking.  
  
"When we moved to the East, my mother and father worked in the Rose Kingdom, they were nobles on the royal council under the rule of King Finoero and Queen Rosaria. When the Wicked Witch of the East took over, she destroyed the kingdom while my parents were in it, and they were killed. I was raised by my grandmother and grandfather in Gillikin in the North so I could be far away from my memories, the little that I have. I was only four years of age when this happened." Alisha took a deep breath, and then said. "Ok Sarah, it's your turn now."   
  
"I was born a week earlier than I was supposed to be born in the deserts of Quox to the North east end of the land of Oz. My mother is an archeologist for the Royal Museum of the Emerald City and she wasn't expecting me that day! My father died of a severe fever when I was seven, but he is with the Unnamed God now. I am happy that he is safe. That's my life. Take it from here Alyssa!"   
  
Alyssa giggled.   
  
"Well, there really isn't much to tell. My parents run a flower shop in the Emerald City. They can just barely make payments for this school, so I worked hard and got a scholarship. Hopefully, I'll do well and make them proud. I'm very fortunate though. Both my parents are alive and well, and I have a younger sister whom I adore! Enough about me, it's Dorothy's turn. Of course, we all know your tale of when you saved the Munchkins from the Wicked Witch and then destroyed her sister, but why are you here now? What of your family?"   
  
Dorothy's eyes immediately glossed over. The tears hurt so badly! They stung her eyes and wanted so badly to be released, but for the sake of her new friends, she would not cry. Dorothy knew she would have to be strong.   
  
"I lived with my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry from the time I was four years old, at least that's what they told me. I don't really remember. Anyway, they just recently died in a terrible fire in Kansas and I came here to live with my friends in the Emerald City."   
  
"Ah yes! Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and the Wizard, right?" asked Alisha.   
  
"Yes, that's right Alisha. I just got an acceptance letter in the mail one day, I don't know how it happened. They even got my name wrong! They called me Dorothy Castine."  
  
"It can't be!" blurted out Alyssa and then she covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, please continue!"   
  
Dorothy looked at her with suspicion.   
  
"Do you have any idea what it means Alyssa?"   
  
Alyssa shook her head.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, what I was thinking is impossible. Continue!"   
  
"And that's how I came here. I have no siblings, I have Hunk, Hickory and Zeke back home, but I will not go back until my eighteenth year. I figure I'll be healed by then. My sorrow I still carry."   
  
Alisha put a caring hand on her friend's shoulder.  
  
"It's ok Dorothy, I know exactly how you feel."   
  
Dorothy smiled and nodded her head.   
  
"We'll help you get threw this, we promise!" added Sarah.   
  
Dorothy felt a warm feeling inside that she hadn't since Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were alive. She had felt the same thing every time she received a hug, a compliment, or a loving kiss from them. Now that it was over though, her friends would have to fill the void.   
  
....Several other girls lived in rooms connected to a common area with a couch and several places to do homework with Dorothy, Alyssa, Sarah, and Alisha. There was Amber, a beautiful redheaded girl who was related to Glinda.   
  
"I'm her kinda sorta niece. She took me under her wing when I was very young." Amber declared.   
  
There was also Toni, Hope, Ariel, Alexandria, and Kristen. They were the rebels of the large group of girls. However, no matter how much they bent the rules, they were very kind and loving to Dorothy and her friends. The only one they had trouble with was Alisha, who was somewhat of a rebel herself.   
  
There was always of course, the quiet one as well. This girl scared Dorothy quite a bit, her name was Autumn, and she always wore black, right down to her nails, which were painted a blacker than the usual black Dorothy had ever seen.   
  
Before lights out, Toni, Amber, Hope, Ariel, Alex, and Kristen went into Dorothy, Alyssa, Sarah, and Alisha's room. They all sat in a circle on the floor and chatted. The door was slightly open, and Hope was the first to speak up.   
  
"I think we should get rid of that Autumn girl! She really makes me mad!"   
  
Dorothy saw Hope ball her hand in a fist.   
  
"Hope calm down! You shouldn't be so spiteful to a girl you don't even know yet! Give Autumn a chance!" Dorothy said gently.   
  
"Well, you know why she won't talk to us, don't you Dorothy?" Alyssa said.   
  
Dorothy shook her head. The girls exchanged looks.   
  
"That girl in there," said Ariel. "Is Autumn McQue, the richest girl in the Emerald City next to the Wizard himself! Her family is extremely wealthy! She doesn't want to mingle with the likes of us."   
  
Dorothy took a good look at Autumn. Maybe the girls were right. She sat there with a book in hand and her nose in the air, it was as if she was gesturing that she was too good to be with the other girls. But, as always, the pure heart in Dorothy came out.   
  
"I'm going to try to talk to her. If you're right, then I will keep my distance. If not, we invite her to join us."  
  
The girls nodded in unison.   
  
Dorothy held her head up high, trying to match the confidence and slight air of arrogance that Autumn held. She wasn't an astoundingly beautiful girl, but she wasn't unfortunate looking either. Ms. McQue seemed too simple to be as rich and well off as they said she was. She had short black hair pulled back in a headband. She had a little patch of acne on each cheek, not too bad, but she came nowhere near the flawless skin of Dorothy. She was average height, nothing was too special about Autumn.   
  
Dorothy sat next to her.   
  
"Hello Autumn. I know this is all so new, but the other girls and I would love to get to know you a little better. Why don't you come inside with us and chat?"   
  
Autumn looked up from her book.   
  
"What's your name again?" she asked.   
  
"I'm Dorothy Gale."   
  
"Oh, that's right. As much as I appreciate your offer Ms. Gale, I'm a little busy reading here. Oh, and allow me to give you a little tip. You and I are famous and well off women of Oz. We can have the world offered to us on a silver platter, and everyone can kneel to us, glory can be received! But, of course, it all depends on where you look. Those girls in there, are not where people like us should be looking, if you know what I mean. Keep in mind, that you will be judged by the company you keep."   
  
Dorothy looked at Autumn narrowly.  
  
"You know, I just wanted to give you a chance." Dorothy stood so that she was looking down at Autumn. "The girls were right about you, you're horrible! I'm going back."   
  
Autumn looked into Dorothy's eyes with impending hatred and stood to come face to face with her.   
  
"You are not worthy of the glory and splendor of the Emerald City you little, insignificant farm girl! Go bury yourself in the marshes. After all, that's where you belong!"   
  
With confidence, Dorothy replied, "We'll see who ends up where, Ms. McQue."   
  
She walked back in front of the door where her comrades resided, turned and said, "I wouldn't make so many enemies at one time if I were you, Ms. McQue. Be careful not to burn all of your bridges at once."   
  
Dorothy went back to her friends.  
  
She was greeted by warm smiles when she reentered the room, and Dorothy felt rejuvenated from the cold behavior of Autumn McQue.   
  
"So," said Alisha. "What happened Dorothy?"   
  
"Let's just say, you were right. She's not one of us. She's far too below us."   
  
Dorothy mimicked Autumn's cruel and rude attitude and the girls all laughed hysterically.  
  
And so ended the first night of any significance at all..................  
  
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Ok, that's it for now. I'm really tired and it's really late. Enough said. Send feedback and keep checking in for the next chapter. Also, I took some Oz terms from the modern Oz book, Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Things like the names of the places and stuff like that, I give full credit to him and claim no ownership to them what so ever. Ok? Okidokles then! Yeah.....ok....Thanks!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	5. Another Day Gone By

...The fire raged, and the world wavered, but in spite of everything, she could not persuade her body to move. And then it receded to the sounds of screams...  
  
...Dorothy abruptly awoke from her nightmare to find that Alisha and Hope were fighting in the common area. They stood in front of the bathroom door, screaming at each other. She quickly got out of bed to stop them.   
  
"Girls, please! We're trying to sleep, it's only two o' clock in the morning for God's sake! Besides, do you two want to get yourselves into such trouble on our first days here? I should think not! Alisha, go back to our room, now! Hope, you stay here with me for a moment."   
  
Alisha nodded, gave one last glare to Hope, and proceeded back to bed.  
  
"It was her fault Dorothy, I swear!"   
  
Dorothy finally got a chance to get a good look at Hope. She looked fresh off the streets. She had short, pin straight, purple hair, a nose ring and bright blue eyes. She was a little bit taller than Dorothy, but not by much.   
  
"What happened?" asked Dorothy.  
  
"We were both goin' to use the bathroom, right? She bumps into me, not a big deal. But she gets all angry and starts yellin' at me! I don't have to put up with that! So we start fightin'. I mean, I like Alisha, she's a nice girl, but she had a bad attitude with me tonight and it set me off. I'm sorry for waking ya up."   
  
"It's all right." said Dorothy. "Just try to get along. I'm sure Alisha was just a little cranky from being tired."   
  
Hope smiled.   
  
"Ya, you're probably right. Thanks Dorothy. Goodnight."   
  
Hope turned around with one last groggy smile and went back to her room as did Dorothy.  
  
...The next morning, the girls were able to go to each of their classes and they got a taste of what magic was like. Nothing special enough to note, however, happened during the day.   
  
When Dorothy unlocked the door to the common area and walked in, there sat the girls setting up a board game.   
  
"Dorothy!" said Toni. "Look!"   
  
"I'm sure she knows this game." said Alex.   
  
"I bought if off a merchant in the Winkie Territory last summer." said Kristen. "She said it came from the parallel."   
  
"Parallel? What does that refer to?" asked Dorothy.   
  
"It refers to the world you come from." said Sarah.   
  
There on the floor was a Monopoly set.   
  
"I think I'm going to skip," said Alyssa. "I'm very tired! Besides, it's only an eight player game."   
  
"Come on Alyssa, please join us." said Alisha.   
  
"Play with us! You can be the banker!" added Kristen.   
  
"Well, all right!" Alyssa sat among her roommates and they started the game.  
  
They giggled, ate snacks, and talked as they played. Dorothy had never had such fun, for she'd never had a close friend in her age group before. She looked around, and remembered the first time she'd even been shown a Monopoly game. It was when she was new in the Gale home, at the age of four.   
  
  
  
"Dorothy, it's your turn!" said Amber.   
  
Dorothy rolled, and landed on something she already owned. She began to stare off into space, and then the rest of the game went unusually fast.  
  
At the end of the night, the game (of course, considering this is Monopoly) wasn't finished. They left it on the floor so they could finish it the next morning. Dorothy knew she was going home the following night...oh Jesus...home! How nice that sounded!   
  
The girls got ready for bed, when suddenly the door burst open and in strutted Autumn McQue.   
  
"Hey Autumn," said Toni. "Where have you been? We were getting worried about you."   
  
"Don't make me laugh." she replied. "I was reading, something I'm sure, you people have never even heard of. I wanted to make sure I was out of the way of your stupid little games!"   
  
She went into her room and locked the door.   
  
"That Autumn girl makes me want to scream!" said Alisha.   
  
"I can have her taken care of." said Hope.   
  
"I'm with you there!" added Toni. "I was worried about her. She didn't have to be so rude."   
  
"Don't pay her too much mind." said Dorothy. "I'm sure she does things like this to make you mad, this is exactly what she wants. Don't play into it. Ignore her, she'll give in eventually when she sees how much fun we're having."   
  
The girls nodded.   
  
Could it be? Another new day was over. To Dorothy, it seemed she had just awakened. Everybody said their goodnights, brushed their teeth, said their prayers, and went to bed.   
  
And so ends another glorious day of a second chance at happiness......  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That's all for now everybody! I hope you're enjoying this. E-mail and reviews are appreciated greatly. More is coming soon, I promise! Keep reading.   
  
~*Tori*~ 


	6. Hope

...Oh God almighty, how can this be? That little girl was so familiar...Don't hurt her, please don't hurt her! Don't take her...for the love of God she's only a child!...  
  
...The pain in Dorothy's chest caused her to arise and she felt as if she had been stabbed through the heart. It was nights like these that made her miss home, her Kansas home. She thought about what the week apart from her new friends would be like.  
  
'It's only a little while.' Dorothy thought. 'I'll see them soon enough.'   
  
When the sun rose, Dorothy packed her things together, bathed and got herself ready. When all the girls were dressed, Dorothy, Sarah, Alisha, Alyssa, Amber, Alexandria, Kristen, Ariel, Toni, and Hope continued their Monopoly game.   
  
Alexandria took her place at the real estate and Alyssa at the bank. The girls once again built memories through laughing and eating and smiling...smiles...how she needed this...  
  
One of the bedroom doors burst open. There Autumn stood, hair disheveled and with sleepy eyes.   
  
"You woke me up with your foolish games! Please quiet down so I may rest!" She slammed the door behind her.   
  
The girls looked at each other and began rolling with laughter.  
  
"Did you see her hair?" said Alexandria. "She looked like a wicked witch had ruffed her up!"   
  
They continued to laugh. Dorothy seized laughing, and suddenly felt guilty. She looked at the door of Autumn's bedroom.   
  
"Girls," she said. "Let us be good roommates, and not gossip about Autumn."   
  
The girls looked at her with their mouths open.  
  
"Dorothy," said Ariel. "I know that you are from the parallel and all, but there are a few things about Oz that you just don't understand. The McQue family is just plain evil!"   
  
"How do you mean?" asked Dorothy.  
  
"Well, for starters," said Sarah. "They demolished half of the Great Gillikin Forest up north for one of their power plants. They own the Ozian Power Company."   
  
"Also," said Alyssa. "They forced hundreds of people to leave their homes in the Quadling Kells to fish out rubies from the bottom of the marshes to run their power plants on."   
  
"Then," said Alisha. "They paved over the remaining homes with the yellow brick road so that they had a direct path from the Emerald City to their power plant."   
  
"They petitioned to have another power plant built in the Thousand Year Grasslands out west, but the Wicked Witch of the West wouldn't allow it." said Toni.  
  
"They even went as far as to petition the construction of the yellow brick road over the Kvon Altar! That's one of the most sacred places of worship in all of Oz!" said Kristen. "It's way down south, but people travel far and wide to drink of the water there. It is said that it can heal any illness. It's a place of miracles. Dorothy, the McQue family tried to destroy a place of miracles. What kind of a terrible family would do such a thing if they had even the slightest bit of kindness burrowed in their hearts? They are the purest of pure evil that there is. Don't forget it."  
  
"I hate to say it Dorothy," said Hope. "But Kristen's right! I was forced to live on the streets for nine years in the East. I struggled to breathe as I studied my ass off to get in this school! I lived in the ruins of the Rose Kingdom with anybody that happened to be there. Even those people showed me more respect than Autumn McQue has."  
  
She put her head down, and when she lifted it again, tears were falling down her cheeks.  
  
"I lived in those marshes when those evacuations started so they could have their rubies and their power plant and their cold money. My parents didn't have much Dorothy, but we lived peacefully in our little Quadling home. My parents were activists against the McQue family's evil deeds. They died battling against the machines the McQue family created to demolish our homes! I was rescued from the rubble of my house at the age of four! They made me homeless at four years old! I was in a hospital for a year recovering and then I was shamelessly shoved back into the world alone. If you think for a single moment, that I have any mercy toward that girl, then you're crazy. If I didn't REALLY want to be here,"   
  
Hope looked around the room with a snare that practically bled them to death.   
  
"Autumn would be dead."   
  
Hope ran out of the room kicking the Monopoly game as she left. And so ended their game.   
  
"Poor Hope." said Alisha.  
  
"I'll go talk to her." Dorothy said, rising from her place on the floor.  
  
When she got in the room, Hope was on her bed, trying desperately to stop her tears.  
  
"I don't cry very easily Dorothy." she said. "I just have a terrible feeling about that girl. I can't help it. I have a sixth sense you know, I can sense these things. That girl has an evil core waiting to burst. You'll see."  
  
"Well, until her head starts spinning, I'm going to try to keep peace. Come now, we're going to have to live with her for a long time weather we like it or not. Let's make the best of it."  
  
Hope sighed.   
  
"I'll do my best."  
  
"Now dry those tears, and we'll go help the others clean up."   
  
...Tears came from another pair of eyes.   
  
'I didn't do it, they did. Why am I always the one who is punished?'

Ok...that's it for now! Sorry it took me so long, but I'll get a lot more done over Thanksgiving break. I once again used the names of the places in Oz from the book, Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. BUY THAT BOOK! IT WAS FRIEKING AWESOME! Thanks! Keep reading and enjoy.   
  
Tori 


	7. A Friend In Need

The Emerald City seemed a little bit brighter now that Dorothy had returned and had called it home. Yes, it was true that it could never replace what she had in Kansas. Dorothy had a lifetime there, memories that she held in her heart, and that she would forever hold and carry. But it was useless to believe that mourning in blackness any longer would heal the wounds, only more wounds would be soon to follow if she fell down that path. It would destroy her, and she knew it was time to begin anew.  
  
Her friends warmly welcomed her back! Lion practically knocked her down as he hugged her. Angelina slowly walked into the room, Dorothy sensed something was wrong.  
  
Something was different, something had changed.  
  
"Hello Dorothy, welcome back." Angelina said.  
  
Even though she put a smile on, Dorothy saw right through it.  
  
"Angelina, are you all right? You look pale."  
  
Dorothy saw her eye twitch and then she ran away without another word spoken.  
  
"What was that all about?" asked the Wizard.  
  
"I don't know," said Dorothy. "But she didn't seem like herself."  
  
Dorothy's friends exchanged worried looks.  
  
That night, Dorothy tossed and turned in her sleep. Faces and voices passed quickly through her dreams which turned just as quickly to nightmares.  
  
...The blood dripped to the floor, wounds on the heart that held such pain were only meant for death....  
  
...Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion didn't know how to tell her. Dorothy had gone through so much, and then to get such a message, it was heart breaking. They would tell her, they had to.  
  
Scarecrow knocked on her bedroom door. A while passed with no answer. He opened the door slowly, she was asleep. Should he awaken her? Yes, this couldn't wait. Scarecrow walked in the room, Lion and Tin Man followed slowly behind him. None of them were sure of what her reaction would be.  
  
As she slept, a voice whispered into Dorothy's ear,  
  
'I promise never to let any harm come to you.'  
  
Dorothy sat up and screamed just as Scarecrow was about to awaken her. She rambled about a little girl, but they calmed her, figuring it was a nightmare.  
  
When she had settled, Dorothy wiped her eyes of their sleepiness and looked over at the clock on her wall. It was eleven o' clock at night.  
  
"What's going on? Is everything all right?"  
  
"Dorothy," said Tin Man. "Something has happened to Angelina."  
  
Dorothy closed her eyes.  
  
"Oh God," she said. "Not again, please!"  
  
The tears swam into her eyes when she saw Scarecrow nod.  
  
"How did this happen?"  
  
"We don't know." Scarecrow said. "They found her in an alley. There were no witnesses."  
  
"It was really strange Dorothy," said Lion. "No one knows what happened."  
  
It didn't sit right with Dorothy. What would a murderer want with an Emerald City maid?  
  
"I suppose," Dorothy said, trying to take control of her tears. "I suppose it will figure itself out. We'll get to the bottom of it."  
  
"Dorothy," said Tin Man firmly. "Don't go getting yourself into trouble."  
  
"Don't worry about me." she sighed. "I don't think I'll get back to sleep."  
  
"Try to rest Dorothy, you need your strength." said Lion.  
  
...The night seemed like an eternity. The hours were passing so slowly, Dorothy thought she might go mad. But finally the sun arose from the East and brought with it a new day.  
  
During the day, the hustle and bustle of the Emerald City seemed so much slower than usual. Yes, the amount of people was the same, but everything to Dorothy was in riddles. Why did they do what they did every day? Why did someone want a servant of the Emerald City dead? The killer could be amongst the crowds right now and Dorothy wouldn't even know.  
  
A guard entered the royal dining hall as Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and the Wizard were eating dinner. Dorothy stayed cheerful despite the tragedy that had struck her heart so hard. When the guard entered, they were chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened at all.  
  
"There is a young girl here to see you miss Dorothy."  
  
"Me?"  
  
The guard nodded.  
  
Dorothy looked around at her friends for a moment, then said,  
  
"Please show her in."  
  
The guard bowed respectfully, then walked to the door and said,  
  
"You may go in now miss."  
  
Alyssa walked in the room. She looked shaken, she had been crying.  
  
"Oh Alyssa!" said Dorothy as she ran and embraced her friend. "What's the matter? What's happened?"  
  
"I've come to say goodbye." Alyssa let the tears fall.  
  
"Goodbye?"  
  
"I'm afraid, I cannot return to school with you after all. Something terrible has happened."  
  
"But you've worked so hard, what could be so terrible to take that all away from you?"  
  
"My little sister, Carrie...she...she's dying!" Alyssa cried into Dorothy's dress.  
  
"No," Dorothy whispered. "Alyssa, she will live, you must believe that!"  
  
Alyssa shook her head.  
  
"She's always had something wrong with her heart. There's nothing they can do, they said this time next week, she'll be gone! They can't do anything to help her!"  
  
Dorothy's mind went a million miles a minute! There had to be a way, auntie Em told her there was always a way! She closed her eyes...Kristen! Dorothy remembered the words that Kristen spoke of the Kvon Altar.  
  
..."It's way down south, but people travel far and wide to drink of the water there. It is said that it can heal any illness. It's a place of miracles."...  
  
"Alyssa, we are going to the Kvon Altar. Come with me!" Dorothy led Alyssa to her bedroom, leaving her friends at the table.  
  
"Here Alyssa," said Dorothy. "Put this cloak on, I hear it's extremely cold in the South. I'll bring a blanket for Carrie. Here, put this sweater on too, you can never be too warm. Allow me to change, we'll get your sister, and we'll be off!"  
  
"Dorothy," said Alyssa. "You're mad! We'll never make it in time. To travel that far will take days, Carrie cannot travel. We must let her die in peace." Dorothy saw at once that this was true.  
  
"You're right Alyssa, to travel by foot would be crazy. She'd never make it that far, outside at night and all. That would be ludicrous! But you see, I never planned to do so."  
  
Dorothy walked into her closet and walked out with the ruby slippers in her hands.  
  
"Are those what I think they are?"  
  
"Yes, and they can take us anywhere we wish to go, instantly! I only use them in emergencies, and this definitely counts. Alyssa, there is hope yet for Carrie, but we have to do this! Come, let us get her and go!"  
  
Alyssa sat there, staring at nothing, trying to see the right thing to do.  
  
"Alyssa, please! Give your little sister a fighting chance!"  
  
Alyssa nodded.  
  
"You're right Dorothy, this is the only way. Let's go!"  
  
The two girls put their cloaks on and Dorothy put the ruby slippers upon her feet.  
  
"I'll have to tell my friends where we are going. Go and wait in the hall, I'll be with you in a moment."  
  
Alyssa nodded.  
  
"Do you really think we can save her?"  
  
Dorothy looked deeply into her friend's eyes, seeing her pain.  
  
"I know we can!"  
  
...The Wizard cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea Dorothy?"  
  
"I have to do this. I will return soon!"  
  
She hugged them goodbye.  
  
Alyssa and Dorothy quickly went to Alyssa's home in the Emerald City. By the time they got there, it was late at night, and the city had shut its lights in preparation of another night. As they gathered up the young girl, Alyssa's older brother awoke from his slumber. He walked in to Carrie's room.  
  
"What the hell are you doing Alyssa?"  
  
"Be quiet Dave, you'll wake mother and father."  
  
Dave looked at Dorothy as she tenderly wrapped Carrie in the warm blanket she'd brought.  
  
"You be a good girl. God loves you, and we're going to make sure you're well."  
  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, how rude of me." Dorothy walked from Carrie's side and said, "I'm Dorothy Gale."  
  
She outstretched her hand to shake with Dave's. When they touched, a golden heart appeared on Dorothy's forehead, but quickly disappeared.  
  
"What was that?" asked Alyssa.  
  
"I don't...I don't know!" said Dorothy. It was forgotten when Dorothy said, "It doesn't matter. We're taking Carrie to the Kvon Altar, we'll be back by tomorrow morning, and your sister will be healed."  
  
"I'm going with you!" said Dave. He got a coat and went back with them.  
  
"Dave, you shouldn't come! One of us needs to be here."  
  
"No, I'm older than you, and I'm responsible for what happens to my little sisters. Now come on!"  
  
They stood in a circle. Dorothy clicked the heels of the ruby slippers three times, took a deep breath and said,  
  
"Take us to the Kvon Altar!"  
  
Well, that's it for now, e-mail me at and tell me what you think so far. I hope everybody is enjoying it so far. If you haven't guessed by now, there's going to be a romance...hmm...I wonder..........Keep reading!  
  
Tori 


	8. Destiny At The Kvon Altar

Dorothy opened her eyes, and the rain poured hard upon her long, brown hair. Before her were thousands of ill people, huddled together with nothing more than a blanket each and a prayer.  
  
Dorothy suspected they could be waiting there for several hours, but was ready to take on the challenge. The only trouble was, Carrie wasn't looking well. Dorothy held the sick girl close to her chest, and marched forward, trying to ignore the cold rain.  
  
Many people were there just to praise God for the miracles, but everyone else was at the Kvon Altar for its healing water. Dorothy could not see the spring, for the four of them stood a mile back in line.  
  
"What do we do now?" asked Dave.  
  
"We wait and pray, just like everyone else." replied Dorothy.  
  
They took their place in the line, and waited, their minds going a million miles a minute trying to take it all in. The smell of wet mud, the cries of pain and death...it was everywhere! Alyssa and Dave were anything but patient as they shivered in the damp night.  
  
Carrie reached a weak hand up to grab Dorothy's collar. Dorothy's attention was snapped from the long line down to the little girl in her arms. Now that Carrie had Dorothy's complete attention, she touched her face gently.  
  
"How much longer do we have to wait Dorothy? I feel so tired."  
  
Dorothy looked into Carrie's eyes, and saw that she was drifting.  
  
"It'll just be a bit longer, little one. Be patient, God smiles upon one who can keep such a virtue."  
  
Carrie suddenly was forced to take a gasp for air, and then pulled Dorothy's face down close to her own.  
  
"I thirst so for life!"  
  
Dorothy's eyes widened. There was no way she was going to allow this innocent girl to die in her arms out here amongst all the despair.  
  
Dorothy looked around her. People were dying all around them. Dorothy's mind was racing, she had to do something!  
  
"It's not your time, little one!" she muttered under her breath.  
  
Alyssa put her head on Dave's chest.  
  
"Oh Dave!" she said quietly to her older brother. "We're losing her."  
  
Dave held his sister close, knowing he had to be strong.  
  
"Dorothy," he said. "Come, let us bring Carrie home."  
  
Dorothy breathed heavily, in and out. She looked ahead of her, ignored Dave completely, and began to run through the crowd, Carrie safely held in her arms.  
  
Dave and Alyssa dashed forward, desperately trying to keep up with Dorothy, calling out to her. But she was deaf to them, Dorothy's only thought lay at the altar.  
  
Alyssa and Dave feared that the other people would be outraged that someone would run to the front, however to their surprise, the others in the crowd did not stop her from moving to the front of the line. They simply moved aside.  
  
Dave and his sister heard people say, "The goddess lives!"  
  
Dorothy then suddenly stopped.  
  
Dave and Alyssa walked in front of their friend only to see that her eyes were glowing a golden color, and there was a golden heart on her forehead.  
  
"Please save me goddess!" Carrie breathed quietly.  
  
Golden wings appeared on Dorothy's back. She stroked a hand gently on Dave's cheek, as if in a daze, and smiled at him.  
  
Dorothy threw her head back, emitting a golden glow all around her. She leapt up and began flying above the crowd. Everyone in the large mass of people then suddenly fell to their knees and starting praying, for they knew they would all soon be healed.  
  
Despite wind, rain, thunder and lightning, Dorothy flew on, her white dress fluttering behind her. At last, she was above the Kvon Altar.  
  
She allowed her feet to touch the ground and then fell to her knees.  
  
The alter itself was made of white marble. Above the spring of water were marble cherub statues with their hands cupped over the spring, catching anything that might stain the pure waters.  
  
She took some of the healing water in her hands, and gave it to Carrie. Just then, Dave and Alyssa caught up with their younger sister and Dorothy, panting from the long run.  
  
Carrie began to glow, and when she stopped, the illness which had been holding her hostage had been lifted. Carrie ran to Alyssa's embrace, and then Dave held the two of them close as Dorothy stood slowly.  
  
All of the people looked on in awe, wondering what she would do. Dorothy looked out at the crowd, her eyes still a golden stare.  
  
The golden heart on her forehead morphed to a rose, and she outstretched her fingers. A golden mist left Dorothy's fingertips, and the entire crowd was healed of their illnesses, every one of them.  
  
The rose disappeared, and everything became suddenly dark...  
  
That's the revised version of chapter nine. I hope you like this one better. E-mail me with lots of reviews and e-mails. I love hearing from you. Thanks everybody, I hope you're enjoying!  
  
Tori 


	9. Fate Worse Than Death

The memories flooded back into Dorothy's head so fast that she collapsed under the pressure. The last thing she saw before she hit the ground at the Kvon Altar was Dave's face, leading her back to the past...  
  
...Dorothy saw herself at the age of three, living in the Rose Kingdom to the east of the Emerald City. She saw her mother and father, a beautiful pair. And she remembered all the good times.  
  
Then she saw Angelina, who was five years old. Dorothy called her...sister? Angelina was Dorothy's sister, and the situation of that horrible night came back.  
  
Dorothy was four years old and Angelina was six when it happened. The Rose Kingdom was a target for years because of King Finoero and Queen Rosaria Castine's political views. The Wicked Witch of the East and her accomplice Mombi, planned to destroy the Rose Kingdom and everyone who lived there. The one thing they were worried about, however, was the young princess, Dorothy Castine, whom they called the Goddess of the Rose.  
  
Queen Rosaria was extremely powerful, and had extraordinary powers. When she gave birth to her first daughter, Angelina Castine, it was thought that she would be the one to follow in her mother's footsteps, and that she would inherit the kingdom.  
  
However, when Angelina was born, she showed no sign of the powers she was supposed to have. When her younger sister Dorothy was born two years later, she was born wrapped in golden angel's wings, and it was proclaimed throughout the land that she would inherit the thrown of the Rose Kingdom.  
  
On the night of the attack, King Finoero fought valiantly until he was struck across the neck, and he fell. Queen Rosaria ran to him and asked him what she should do. He replied with these words,  
  
"Do whatever you have to in order to get the Goddess out! No matter what happens to the rest of us, Dorothy must survive!"  
  
He died in the arms of his wife. Queen Rosaria took off her cape and placed it over King Finoero's face respectfully, said a quick blessing, cried a few tears, and ran to retrieve her children.  
  
When reaching Dorothy's bedroom, she was a praying, well aware of the tragedy around her.  
  
"To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sorrows, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears."  
  
"Dorothy dear," said her mother. "We have to make leave of this place, where is Angelina?"  
  
"I'm right here mother. Don't move!"  
  
There Angelina stood, with evil power streaming from her. Mombi walked from the other room and took hold of Angelina's shoulder. The Queen gasped. Angelina had been consumed by Mombi's evil power!  
  
"Angelina," Momobi slithered. "You must destroy Dorothy at all costs."  
  
Angelina thought for a moment then said,  
  
"But Mombi, she is my sister. Should we not save her and bring her to our side?"  
  
"No dear child. She has your mother's energy in her. It would impossible to convert her. Besides, don't you want to take your revenge? Your mother always loved her more than you! She was even going to give the kingdom to her before you! The ignorant must be destroyed! Kill them!"  
  
Angelina's eyes flashed an evil black color. Queen Rosaria grabbed Dorothy and ran.  
  
They ran into the forest, being chased all the while by Mombi and Angelina. The chase came to a screeching halt, however, when Angelina shot evil energy from her fingers, causing her mother to let out a scream and fall to the ground of the forest.  
  
Dorothy laid under her mother, whispering her prayer.  
  
"Turn then o most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us!"  
  
Queen Rosaria's blood dripped on her as Dorothy sobbed.  
  
Dorothy felt her mother's body being lifted off of her. Mombi towered over the little girl.  
  
"Stand up!" Mombi commanded.  
  
Dorothy stood as she was told, closed her eyes, and screamed as hard as she could.  
  
Golden wings spread from her back as she screamed, and a golden heart appeared on her forehead.  
  
"Stop her!" said Mombi.  
  
"If the heart turns into a rose, she'll be able to fight us!"  
  
Angelina tried to strike her, but something made her stop.  
  
"Well," said Mombi. "What are you waiting for Angelina, destroy her!"  
  
"How about I strike her only to paralyze her Mombi? I'll bury her alive in the parallel! That way there will be no remains to be found here. The people will not martyr her if there are no remains to prove her death."  
  
Mombi thought for a moment.  
  
"Why do that? Just be rid of her!"  
  
"I deserve to make her suffer! Why destroy her here and leave remains just so the people can proclaim her a heroine? I will not allow fame to result from her death! Dorothy deserves a fate worst than death."  
  
"Very well, if you must. Do it now Angelina! I'll meet you at the witch's castle."  
  
Mombi disappeared, leaving Angelina alone with Dorothy.  
  
"Please don't kill me sister!" Dorothy cried.  
  
"Trust me Dorothy, one day you'll understand."  
  
Angelina struck Dorothy with a minor force that caused her to fall to the ground. Angelina walked beside her and stood over her.  
  
Dorothy whispered,  
  
"Pray for us!"  
  
Angelina then zapped her memory away. She was left in the parallel.  
  
...Emily and Henry Gale were always unable to have children. They had taken into their home three teenaged boys to be their farmhands, Hunk, Hickory and Zeke.  
  
One day, while the boys were in the woods hunting, they saw something...someone...  
  
A hooded person had buried something.  
  
"Hey!" yelled Hunk. "You there? This is private land!"  
  
That hooded person was Angelina and she ran into the darkness of the woods so fast that Hunk lost track of her.  
  
Hunk called his friends Hickory and Zeke over to help him dig up what this person had buried. What they found was a treasure chest.  
  
"Wow!" said Zeke. "What do you think is in it?"  
  
"Only one way to find out!" said Hickory.  
  
They broke the lock off the chest, and when they opened it, their smiles disappeared.  
  
"Oh my God!"  
  
There laid a little girl, shoved into this makeshift coffin, but whoever that stranger was, had buried her alive!  
  
They picked up the little girl and ran for the house as fast as they could. Hunk looked down at the girl, and stopped.  
  
"Hold on a second!" he said. "She's waking up! She's ok!"  
  
He fell to his knees as the girl stirred and opened her eyes.  
  
"What's your name?" asked Hickory.  
  
"I'm Dorothy." she said.  
  
"Where are you from?" asked Hunk.  
  
"I...I don't remember."  
  
"What's the last thing you remember."  
  
Dorothy looked down at the silver cross she was wearing around her neck. Her eyes glazed over.  
  
"Pray for us."  
  
Dorothy suddenly felt an intense pain go throughout her body, she gripped Hunk's sleeve tightly. The young girl shook violently.  
  
Whatever was left of her memory was being erased from afar. Angelina saw that if she remembered her name, more things would be soon to follow, so she drained Dorothy of every memory of the past that she possessed.  
  
Dorothy's head fell back, hanging limp from her small neck. They continued running to the house.  
  
...Darkness...  
  
The light came back again, life started over in the parallel with the Gale family, and they were happy to have her until the day they died.  
  
Now that it was clear, maybe she would heal from all this grief. Maybe Dorothy would finally be able to live again...  
  
Ok, that's it for now....I did a lot of writing for this story over the break and I hope you're enjoying it! Please e-mail me your comments on the story at and give me plenty of reviews. Thanks, and keep looking for more chapters!  
  
Tori 


	10. Romance Blossoming

Dorothy awoke in Dave's arms, looking into his beautiful brown eyes. Nothing but understanding residing in hers.  
  
Rain poured down on them, but Carrie was alive and well, that's all that mattered. It was still night, and Dave let a tear fall when Dorothy opened her eyes. It mixed with the rain and they fell together to land upon Dorothy's face. Dave lifted her up to hug him.  
  
"Oh God, you gave us quite a scare! Thank you! You've fulfilled the lives of so many people."  
  
Dorothy returned his hug, then proceeded to hug Carrie and Alyssa.  
  
"I finally understand." Dorothy said. "And now that I do, I think I'm going to solve a mystery."  
  
...Dorothy returned to the Emerald City, but by then, the story of Dorothy's triumph over death had already reached the ears of the people, including Alyssa, Dave, and Carrie's parents. They warmly welcomed their children home, showering them with kisses and thanking God for Carrie's safe return home.  
  
"Thank you Dorothy, you have no idea how long we have waited." said Alyssa's mother. Dorothy shot a confused look at Alyssa. Dave then said,  
  
"It was prophesied by the Good Witch that Princess Castine would be the queen of the roses, and that she would rise from the dead to save Oz. You didn't exactly rise from the dead or anything, but I don't think you even know how many lives you have changed by just being alive! You're the only survivor of the royal family. The people will be so glad that you have returned!"  
  
Dorothy looked into his eyes.  
  
"I'm not the only one."  
  
Dorothy looked at her hands for a moment, then looked up with tears in her eyes.  
  
"I now remember what happened that night. My sister is the one who..."  
  
She looked around at the family of faithfulls. It was obvious that they had believed in Glinda's prediction, and now the fact that Glinda always went out of her way to protect Dorothy made sense. It was so she could "save Oz".  
  
"You were saying?"  
  
"Nothing, I'm very tired, I most return to the Emerald Palace."  
  
Dorothy put her cloak on before quickly looking out the window at the rain. She felt a tug at her cloak, and looked down into Carrie's eyes.  
  
"Thank you goddess."  
  
Dorothy kneeled down.  
  
"Please call me Dorothy, and you are so very welcome."  
  
Carrie smiled and they hugged.  
  
"I'll walk you to the door." said Dave.  
  
He opened the door, she walked through it into the cold rain and put her hood up. He followed her out and closed the door behind him, putting a coat on.  
  
"Come on, I might as well walk you home." he said.  
  
Dorothy blushed slightly, and they walked through the rain together.  
  
They reached the front entrance of the Emerald Palace. Dorothy looked into the sky, allowing a few drops of rain to hit her face before looking at Dave again.  
  
"Dorothy," he said. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to have met you."  
  
Dorothy blushed, and then smiled as Dave suddenly began to blush as well.  
  
"Well, what I mean is...um...well, I'm glad that my sister Alyssa met you so...you could help Carrie!"  
  
"Of course. I'm glad I did too. I'm just happy I could be of service, and I got my memories back!"  
  
Dave looked down a second.  
  
"What were you saying before, about Princess Angelina?"  
  
Dorothy squinted her eyes and bit her bottom lip.  
  
"I don't want to destroy your beliefs. The truth will be shown in time. Thank you for walking me home Dave, I appreciate it."  
  
"No...thank you, Dorothy."  
  
Dave touched Dorothy's hand, and the golden wings once again appeared on her back. Dorothy's eyes began to glow a golden color, and she kissed Dave, with a most passionate light.  
  
When they parted, Dorothy returned to normal. She'd had another premonition, this time, of the future.  
  
"It's amazing isn't it?" Dorothy said to Dave, who had her in his arms.  
  
"What's amazing?" he asked.  
  
"It's amazing, how to the world, you are only one person. But then, to one person, you can be the world."  
  
With a final glance, and flash of longing, Dorothy retreated to collapse in sweet surrender at what her future would hold.  
  
That's it for now...hope you're enjoying! Sorry it took so long, a lot of thought went into this chapter. Keep reading, the next chapter is coming soon!  
  
Tori 


	11. Forgiveness

The time had come to go back to the Joseph Mannino School of Sorcery. Dorothy once again packed her things, remembering that weekend.  
  
Dorothy had been working feverishly on the mystery of Angelina's death. She didn't think Angelina had died at all, something about that didn't make sense. All of the sudden, a servant of the Emerald City just disappearing? No motive? No clues? It didn't piece together. Dorothy held out hope that her sister was still alive.  
  
The kiss that Dave and Dorothy had shared still tingled her lips at the mere thought. She smiled to herself.  
  
Glinda had probably known that she and Dave would find each other, which means she knew of Uncle Henry and Aunt Em's death long before Dorothy did. Why was nothing said? Dorothy knew that Glinda cared for her, but not a hint was given to help her.  
  
'It can't be helped now.' Dorothy thought sadly.  
  
...School called Dorothy back, but still the lingering mystery of Angelina's alleged death wasn't clear.  
  
She returned to her dormitory to be greeted by the smiling faces of Alyssa, Sarah, Alisha, Hope, Amber, Toni, Ariel, Alexandria and Kristen. Autumn, as usual, stayed locked up in her room.  
  
The other girls had all heard of Dorothy's valiant rescue at the Kvon Altar, and wanted to hear more.  
  
"You actually put your feet in the dirt at the Kvon Altar? How did it feel? I have always wanted to travel there Dorothy!" Kristen said, a glow within her.  
  
It was unbelievable to think that one of her friends had put their hands into the healing waters, and saved thousands of lives. It was a miracle in itself that Dorothy had lived after the Rose Kingdom was destroyed.  
  
The bedroom door opened. Autumn walked out with a tearstained face.  
  
"You are Princess Dorothy Castine of the Rose Kingdom. You saved thousands of desperate lives just by outstretching your fingers and ordering it to be so. You healed the wicked, and cured the sick. I ask you now, o gracious princess, heal me with the power of the Rose!" Autumn kneeled down before Dorothy.  
  
She looked upon Autumn with nothing but compassion and sympathy. Dorothy fell to her knees and hugged Autumn.  
  
"You don't need the power of the Rose, Autumn. You have a pure heart. I know that you are ridiculed for the wicked acts of your family, but know this forever: In this place, in this room, you will never be without a friend, or a shoulder."  
  
Autumn felt free of guilt, and never again did the girls in the room talk about her in a negative way.  
  
Now that everything was in the open, Autumn was a good friend to the girls, and everybody learned (though it was hard for Hope) to accept her as one of them.  
  
The first month of the school year passed quickly. One day, Dorothy took her laundry downstairs to the laundry room.  
  
Dave was there.  
  
For the most part, they hadn't talked to each other since the kiss that they shared in the rain, but she always felt his eyes on her. He knew that he couldn't live a day without setting his eyes upon her beautiful hair and radiant smile.  
  
Though both longed for more, a quick hello on the way to class was the only communication they had had since that rainy night.  
  
He walked up to her nervously as his clothes were drying.  
  
"Dorothy, I need to talk to you." he said.  
  
Dorothy looked into his eyes. They were beautiful, brown and deep, you could see right into his soul. Dorothy saw his intentions as clear as day, and they were pure.  
  
"What about David?"  
  
"David? Don't you think that's just a little formal Dorothy?"  
  
She looked at him from the corner of her eye. He cleared his throat.  
  
"Well anyway, I wanted to know if you would, um, accompany me to the rink this Friday. That is, if you're not too busy, I mean, a girl like you, I'm sure has plans all the time, but..."  
  
Dorothy put her hand over his mouth.  
  
"I'll see you Friday night."  
  
She began walking away and he shouted to her,  
  
"I'll see you at eight o' clock...beautiful."  
  
...She blushed...  
  
I'm sorry this one took so long and that it's so short, but you know how high school is...ok, well, keep reading and I hope you enjoy. By the way, Oz is more modern than Kansas at the time this is set, so that's why the rink and laundry are possible. You'll find in my story that Oz is a mix of modern and classic times. Send me feedback and give me lots of reviews. Thanks!  
  
Tori 


	12. First Date

Friday night rolled around too fast for Dorothy's taste. Her first date...this would be interesting! They were going to the roller skating rink, the best place to be on a Friday night.  
  
The girls in the dormitory helped Dorothy get ready. She put her long hair into a ponytail. Dorothy took a good look in the mirror. Her beauty was unmatched. She was radiant.  
  
She wore a pair of pants she'd borrowed from Hope. Apparently, girls in Oz could wear pants made of denim, she thought this odd.  
  
Dorothy borrowed a shirt with no sleeves from Ariel. The clothing for Ozian teenagers was strange, but she would do anything to make Dave like her.  
  
Alyssa had given Dorothy a picture of her older brother to put in her room. She looked at it every day. Closing her eyes, she could remember everything about that day in the rain, even down to the way he smelled, the way he tasted. She missed him, and was dying for his arms to wrap around her again.  
  
Eight o' clock rolled around and a knock came at the door. Alyssa answered it.  
  
"Oh it's you." she said with a grin.  
  
Dave stuck his tongue out at his younger sister and walked in the room.  
  
"Sit on the couch, I'll go get Dorothy."  
  
Dave nodded and waited.  
  
Alyssa walked into Dorothy's room with a huge smile on her face. All of the girls were sitting in the room, a look of anticipation on every face.  
  
"He's here."  
  
'I wonder what she's wearing.' Dave thought to himself. 'How much longer will she be? I can't wait to see her! Is this a date? Oh, don't say ::anything:: about a date, you might scare her away. Umm...is it ok if I hold her hand? STOP THINKING SO MUCH OR YOU'LL SCREW IT UP!'  
  
The bedroom door opened and out walked the most beautiful girl Dave had ever set his eyes upon. Dorothy was graceful. Her blue eyes stared right through him. Dave stood and walked over to her.  
  
"I've been looking forward to seeing you, Dorothy." Dave kissed her hand. "You look beautiful!"  
  
Giggling could be heard from the bedroom and Dorothy said,  
  
"Thank you Dave, you look wonderful too."  
  
He looked into her eyes, and put his hands on her waist. Gently, he pulled her in and they once again kissed.  
  
"OOOooooOOOOooooOOOOO!" the girls all said in unison.  
  
Dorothy and Dave broke apart and laughed.  
  
"Well, we'd better get going." said Dave.  
  
"I'll see you later girls!" Dorothy said to her roommates.  
  
Together, hand in hand, Dave and Dorothy walked out the door together.  
  
...When the two of them reached the skating rink, Dorothy reminded herself that it was just Dave, whom she cared for, watching her. No one else would care. This gave her a jolt of confidence, she then walked with Dave to get her skates.  
  
It had been a long time since she'd been skating. The last time she went was with Hunk, Hickory and Zeke on a nearby paved road.  
  
Dorothy looked around. They were outside, and the whole place was surrounded by a high gate. There was a band playing on a stage in the middle of a circular, paved rink. There were many people Dorothy's age there.  
  
They got skates from the front and Dave paid for Dorothy to get in, an extremely polite gesture, Dorothy thought.  
  
At first, Dorothy thought she wouldn't be able to skate after all that time, but after she stood, all the memories of having fun with Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke, flooded back into her head, filling her heart with joy, and skating became extremely easy.  
  
Dave and Dorothy stayed together, skating in unison and holding hands, no words were necessary, this was perfect for both of them!  
  
After about an hour, Dave squeezed Dorothy's hand gently, getting her attention, and said over the sound of the band,  
  
"How would you like to meet some of my friends?"  
  
Dorothy nodded hesitantly.  
  
She thought to herself, 'What if his friends do not approve of me? Then I'm sure he would be rid of me quickly. Don't think about it so much, if you do you will surely make a fool of yourself. Be calm.'  
  
Dorothy and Dave skated over to a group of picnic tables, which provided a place to rest. They stopped at a table where four people sat.  
  
"Dorothy, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Dan, Chris, John, and err..." Dave put a disgusted look on his face.  
  
"Well," said the only girl at the table. "I take it you're not happy to see me Dave."  
  
"It's David." he replied in a cold manor.  
  
"Right. Who's your friend, David?"  
  
Dave's attention was immediately brought back to the goddess standing next to him.  
  
"This is my girl." Dave looked into her eyes, and a smile came to Dorothy's face, knowing that this was his way of asking her to be his girlfriend. "This my girl Dorothy."  
  
Everybody greeted her warmly and invited her to sit. The only one who seemed out of place, was that girl.  
  
"I'm Jessica. I'm David's other 'girl'."  
  
Dorothy cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"Really? I find it hard to believe that such a nice boy would want to be with such a dirty girl."  
  
Jessica squinted. This girl was wearing practically no clothing at all, just a black shirt and an extremely short black skirt. She had greasy hair, and heavy makeup. In a word, she was trashy.  
  
"Dorothy," said Dan. "Don't pay her any mind. She's just a lousy tramp trying to get ahead."  
  
The boys laughed, Jessica frowned and threw food at Dan. Dorothy blushed violently and looked at her hands, which rested on the table, as to avoid making the group uncomfortable, though in reality, Dorothy felt terribly uncomfortable herself. A supportive arm wrapped around her.  
  
"Hey guys!" said Dave as the group went silent. "There's a lady present. Watch your language."  
  
Dave smiled at Dorothy and her face went back to it's natural color.  
  
"I'm fine Dave. Really, I don't mind."  
  
There was a point of silence, and then Dave got up and helped Dorothy to stand.  
  
"Come on, let's skate."  
  
But before they could go, a hand grabbed Dorothy's arm firmly. She looked at Jessica, who had a tight grip.  
  
Jessica stood next to Dorothy and whispered in her ear,  
  
"Just be good to him, ok?"  
  
Dorothy nodded, and off they went.  
  
"What did she say to you?" Dave asked.  
  
"Nothing. Let's just skate."  
  
Dan turned to Chris,  
  
"Do you think they know how many people are talking about them right now?"  
  
Chris shook his head.  
  
"Nope...they are way too oblivious."  
  
Both chuckled.  
  
...At first the pace was slow, but then Dave's friends started skating around them and they all ended up chasing each other. The fun and games didn't end until midnight when the rink closed. They all returned their skates, and said goodnight.  
  
"Dorothy?" asked Dave. "Want me to walk you back up to your room?"  
  
Dorothy smiled.  
  
"Yes, that would be nice."  
  
They walked slowly, hand in hand, enjoying each other's presence.  
  
"So, do you like my friends?"  
  
"Yes, I do very much. They're so kind to me. I think Jessica is going to have to get used to me though. She must really care for you."  
  
"Ignore Jessica. She's just jealous of your beauty."  
  
Dorothy allowed herself to blush.  
  
"You're so sweet."  
  
They reached the door too fast.  
  
"Dorothy, I think you got the hint at the rink, but I should probably ask you formally if you want to be my girl."  
  
"No need to ask Dave. Of course I will!"  
  
He brushed his hand against her cheek. She was flawless, everything about this girl was a miracle.  
  
"No wonder you were born wrapped in angel's wings. You are an angel. And I..."  
  
He took a breath.  
  
"...I love you Dorothy."  
  
They kissed, forgetting who's mouth belonged to who. When they parted, Dorothy's eyes were glowing.  
  
"I love you so much!"  
  
Little did they know, they were being watched.  
  
...'May God be with you Dorothy Castine. Your days are numbered!'  
  
That's it for now. I hope everybody is having a load o' fun reading this story, I know I'm having fun writing it! Well anyway, remember to review and e-mail me at I love hearing from you guys, and so far I've gotten some great advice and comments. For those of you who love Wicked, I'm glad you took the time to read it, it's a fabulous book. For those of you who haven't, I recommend you do. Ok? Ok. Read on, more will come soon.  
  
Tori 


	13. Cruel Irony

Three months flew before Dorothy's eyes so quickly. She and Dave were still together, and very happy. Dorothy was to turn sixteen, and was at the top of her classes at the school for sorcery.  
  
Dorothy often went home at night, with the help of the ruby slippers since she wasn't supposed to leave the school during the week, to be with Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. She told them all of her adventures and discoveries, and they listened with open and proud hearts.  
  
They could never have guessed Dorothy's fate.  
  
It was now Dorothy's sixteenth birthday, and she threw a party in the dormitory with the girls and Dave. She was to celebrate that weekend with Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion when she went home.  
  
After blowing out candles, eating cake, and opening gifts, Dorothy and her friends sat and talked. Anything that popped into their heads was spoken, it was a fun and random conversation that only close friends understand.  
  
Something, however, was not right. Something in Dorothy's heart was putting her on the defensive. Looking over her shoulders, she saw...  
  
"Oh my God!"  
  
Suddenly, a black light filled the room, and everything was blurry when their eyes opened again.  
  
Standing in front of them was a hooded woman, and in her arms, she held the dead body of Angelina.  
  
"Here's a little something for you princess. Happy birthday!"  
  
The woman threw the body on the floor, and the blood spilled on to the hardwood floors. Dorothy peered over at her sister in horror. It then occurred to her that she had not heard a peep out of her friends.  
  
Dave got them in a safe hiding place and motioned for Dorothy to follow.  
  
"Dave, get everyone out of here. I have a feeling this was meant to be between her and I. Isn't that right, Mombi?"  
  
The hood came down to reveal a young woman.  
  
"That's right princess. I am so glad you understand." Mombi turned to look at Dave. "Be gone boy and take your friends with you. I'm not after their lives, neither am I after yours. Hurry before I change my mind."  
  
Dave looked at Dorothy.  
  
"GO!" Dorothy shouted.  
  
With these words, Dave left and brought the girls to safety.  
  
"I must admit that I do not understand completely. Why did you kill Angelina? She was your slave."  
  
"Oh my dear child! Slave is a strong word. I called her my highly devoted little helper."  
  
A laugh that sent chills down Dorothy's spine emitted from Mombi's lips.  
  
"But you see, I had to kill her, for her instincts prevented her from killing you, as they did when you were children. I had mercy on her then, because she was a child. So when the time was right, I burned your house down!"  
  
Dorothy's eyes widened. It made sense now.  
  
"My intent, of course, was to annihilate you, but it didn't work. So I sent Angelina to the Emerald City to finish you. She was very close, but her instincts and her guilt forced her to stop yet again. So, in retrospect, she betrayed me. She denied my orders, and she needed to be taught a lesson."  
  
"I now understand why my family was destroyed. You tried to have me killed, but instead...it was a mistake, the whole thing was a mistake! Or was it a mind game? You were trying to make me let my guard down!"  
  
Dorothy's eyes glazed with tears.  
  
"Dorothy, I think of myself as a fair woman. I really had no reason to kill your family, you were all I wanted. Now my dear, I do not consider myself to be a liar. I'm going to be as honest with you as I can."  
  
Dorothy glanced at Mombi with a flame building inside of her.  
  
"The truth is, your family's death was an accident. My intention was not to destroy them. I must admit however, playing with your mind didn't hurt. If you hadn't been so traumatized by all of that, you would have picked up on Angelina's secret right away. She was a terrible liar, unfortunately, I couldn't get her out of that even after I had my power completely instilled in her. Your sister tried to fight me on the day of her demise, but she changed her mind after I threatened to kill your friends in the Emerald City."  
  
Dorothy let out a gasp.  
  
"You were going to hurt Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion?"  
  
"I had to get Angelina to stop fighting me somehow. She was strong. She could've finished me off if she didn't think I was telling the truth. But she also had a soft heart, something I never allowed to take over me, and she believed every word and every lie I fed her. You see, I was the only 'loving' mother she ever had. Your mother didn't care about her."  
  
"That's not true." replied Dorothy, who's eyes softened. "My mother loved us both very much!"  
  
"That's not the point. Anyway, back to business, I still have to kill you!"  
  
Without another word, Mombi lunged in Dorothy's direction, forcing the young girl to jump over the couch.  
  
Dorothy resumed standing again, only to have to dive back to the floor to avoid a shot of acid from Mombi.  
  
Dorothy stood and looked at the wall, which the acid had eaten a hole through, and swallowed the lump in her throat.  
  
'It's obvious that Mombi is not going to play fair.' she thought. 'I'll just have to play by her rules.'  
  
Thinking fast, Dorothy jumped into the kitchen dodging another shot by Mombi. Mombi was then forced to be quickly out of the way of the flying dishes and glasses that Dorothy was throwing at her. A few things hit her leaving her unharmed, including a spoon. Then a dish hit the wall. Glass flew in all directions, and a piece of glass slashed Mombi's face.  
  
"That's it, now you've crossed the line. This is over little girl!"  
  
"Oh really? I'll determine when it's over!"  
  
The two women circled around each other, both trying to plan their next attack.  
  
'Nothing.' Dorothy thought. 'I've got nothing. All the dishes are broken!'  
  
'She's got nothing to attack with.' Mombi thought. 'Little miss Castine must not have realized the power of the Rose yet!'  
  
"You know, my leaders would be extremely disappointed if you weren't finished by tonight as I promised. I must destroy you!"  
  
Mombi leaped at Dorothy again, only this time, Dorothy didn't move fast enough.  
  
Dorothy was pinned underneath Mombi, trying desperately to break free. When suddenly, Mombi was picked up off of the girl and thrown back.  
  
When Dorothy looked up, she saw Hope struggling with Mombi.  
  
"Dorothy," said Hope as she held Mombi's hands behind her back. "Quick, go!"  
  
"Not without you Hope!"  
  
Suddenly, before anything more could be said, or any actions could be taken to spare the life of the young girl, Hope was being zapped through the stomach, and dropped in a heap on the floor.  
  
"NO!"  
  
Dorothy tried to get to Hope, but Kristen stopped her...she was then dead before anyone knew what was happening.  
  
The other girls stayed close to Dave, though he too was trying to get closer to Dorothy, who was crying in a fit of disappear and hopelessness on the floor of the dormitory, her hands coated with the blood of her loved ones.  
  
"This war is over Princess Castine." said Mombi.  
  
Dorothy decided that it was time to give up.  
  
"I'll kill you fast if you wish."  
  
Dorothy stared at the bodies of Hope and Kristen, who had laid down their lives for her. Just as Mombi fired and Dorothy expected to feel the pain of the wound the shot would surely give, she saw Dave leap in front of her and take the hit.  
  
Dave fell to the floor with a moan of pain. Dorothy ran to his side.  
  
"David Anthony Callo, I swear to God, if you leave me I'll never forgive you!" Dorothy cried, her tears landing softly on his chest.  
  
"Please don't be mad at me, my dear princess!" Dave whispered. "I love you Dorothy."  
  
He died with a long sigh and silence filled the room.  
  
Nobody spoke, not even Mombi, who just watched, reveling in Dorothy's pain. The girls were all silent, holding Alyssa, who dared not look at her brother's corpse.  
  
Dorothy put her head down on Dave's chest and cried into his shirt for a moment, when then suddenly, the sounds of her sobbing stopped.  
  
Dorothy sat up again, her eyes glowing a bright golden color. Dorothy screamed as loud as she could, and a golden rose appeared on her forehead. Then, golden wings spread from her back, and she stood.  
  
Mombi fell to her knees.  
  
"The power of the Rose has been awakened!"  
  
Dorothy outstretched her hands and Mombi's body began to glow.  
  
"NO!"  
  
The evil woman disintegrated into a pile of golden dust on the floor.  
  
Dorothy looked around the room, and saw the lifeless bodies of her lover and friends lying there.  
  
She walked over to Dave, and kissed him passionately, cradling his head in her arms. Dorothy started sobbing, rocking back and forth, holding the body of her beloved. She looked up and screamed.  
  
The screaming stopped, and echoed in the air for a moment as if time itself had seized. When the sound and movement regained their regular pace, Dave, Kristen and Hope stirred and awakened as if they had only been sleeping!  
  
After rejoicing in their success, and Dorothy had recovered from the intense power she had been granted, they cleaned up, and Dorothy desperately tried to make them understand what had happened.  
  
"Dorothy, it's ok. Calm down, everyone's all right now, thanks to you of course!" said Toni.  
  
"I don't think you understand what I've done." Dorothy spoke, still bewildered.  
  
They all looked at her silently.  
  
"I cheated death, but for a moment, I cheated death!"  
  
"You've cheated death before. Remember? You saved all those people's lives at the Kvon Altar."  
  
"NO! You don't understand!"  
  
Dorothy breathed slowly as her heart raced within her chest.  
  
"Dave, when we shared our first kiss, I had a premonition of the future. I saw us graduate, and get married, and have a child. I saw this night that we just lived through, everything happened as it was shown to me, the only problem is, it shouldn't have happened this way. If things had gone according to the law of destiny, Hope, Kristen, Dave, and even I would be dead right now. We were all fated to be killed by Mombi with one shot. But I used my power to its full capacity, and now that we've managed to pull the wool over the grim reaper's eyes, we will pay a terrible price in the future."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Dave.  
  
"Because of what I've done today, death will come looking for us again, only next time, there will be no way to defeat it. In a cruel irony, we will be killed in the same way that the woman I just destroyed killed my family. And after that, the Rose Kingdom will never again blossom."  
  
"Dorothy," said Autumn. "This cannot be! How do you know this will happen? How do you know these things will be so? Nothing is set in stone. Like you just said, you cheated destiny."  
  
"Yes, and now I pay the price. I'll never see my child grow up, I'll never grow old with my husband."  
  
"But Dorothy," said Hope. "If what you say is true, and you would have died tonight, then you wouldn't have done those things anyway. What's the difference?"  
  
"The difference Hope, is that now the remainder of my life will be lived in torture of what I'll never have."  
  
Dorothy put her hand over her mouth, and closed her eyes.  
  
"May God forgive me."  
  
Ok, I know it's getting intense, but I hope you're enjoying. I've decided to split this story into Act 1 and Act 2. Act 2 will be the continuation of this continuation. Keep reading, it's just getting good. Reviews and e-mails ) are greatly appreciated. Thanks!  
  
Tori 


	14. Fantasy Wedding

It had been so long since she'd been on this grass and felt this sun. It was her eighteenth year, she had to keep her promise to her loved ones.  
  
Dorothy looked out into the field, and saw a new farm house where the old one had burned down. New crops were planted, the farm looked as if it had been doing very well. Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke had obviously done what she'd asked them to do in her note to them when she left.  
  
The Rose Kingdom was almost completely rebuilt, and Dorothy's marriage to David would officially make her a queen.  
  
Dorothy looked down at the three invitations to her wedding ceremony in her hands. The wedding was one week away.  
  
"They will except it." she said to herself. "Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke will love Dave, and they still love me."  
  
The three men looked out into their fields.  
  
"We have a good harvest ahead of us." said Zeke.  
  
Hunk then caught a glimpse of a young woman walking through the meadow. He got up, and yelled to her.  
  
"Miss? This is private property."  
  
Dorothy saw them and smiled.  
  
"My family." she whispered.  
  
She was dressed in red robes that flowed around her in splendor. Dorothy walked toward the men.  
  
"I'm sorry gentlemen, I didn't know I was trespassing. But you see, this used to be my home before my house burned to the ground."  
  
Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke stopped dead in their tracks.  
  
"Oh dearest Lord in Heaven!" exclaimed Hickory.  
  
Dorothy's face burst into a smile, and she ran to her loved ones she'd left behind those three years ago.  
  
After a long while of nothing but hugs and kisses, Dorothy said,  
  
"I would like to take you with me for a moment. Come, this is the place I used to go as a child when I was sad. We can talk there, for I have much to share with you."  
  
Dorothy led her friends to a place in the forest. There resided a waterfall, with rocks around it that Dorothy remembered sitting on as a child.  
  
"I didn't even know this place existed. How did you find it?"  
  
"I stumbled upon it by accident one day when Toto got lost."  
  
Hunk, Hickory, Zeke, and Dorothy sat on the rocks next to the waterfall.  
  
"Dorothy," asked Hickory. "Where did you go when you left us?"  
  
Dorothy looked down at her ruby slippers, trying to think of an easy way to tell them. She knew they would not believe her, but it was worth a try.  
  
"Do you remember that land I always spoke of when I was younger?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
"That's where I was. I used these magic slippers to take me there."  
  
"Dorothy sweetheart, you can tell us the truth." said Hunk.  
  
"I didn't think you would believed me, so I brought proof."  
  
Dorothy put her hands in the air and took a deep breath. Golden light engulfed her until she was wrapped in angel's wings. She opened one wing, and on that wing, pictures of the land of Oz and the Rose Kingdom appeared.  
  
Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke watched in awe. When the power disappeared, Dorothy was back to her normal form.  
  
"Now," she said. "I think I have some explaining to do."  
  
Her friends nodded silently, their mouths hanging open. They were speechless.  
  
They spent hours in the woods, listening to Dorothy's tale. She told them of her past, Dorothy's parents, why she was abandoned, and how she graduated as the valedictorian at the school for sorcery.  
  
Though many of these things seemed impossible, they believed Dorothy. None of this could be explained, but it all made sense somehow as the truth slowly unfolded throughout her story.  
  
"I kept my promise and returned to Kansas in my eighteenth year." Dorothy said. "Now that I have filled you in on everything that's happened during the past three years, I would like to inform you of something important."  
  
Dorothy put her head down for a moment, and lifted it again with a radiant smile upon it.  
  
"Three years ago, I met a young man named David Callo, he was the older brother of the girl I rescued at the Kvon Altar, and my friend and my former roommate at school, Alyssa, is his sister as well."  
  
"Yes, you mentioned him earlier. Are the two of you still friends?" asked Zeke.  
  
"Well, I guess you could put it that way."  
  
Dorothy graciously allowed herself to blush. She reached into her robes and pulled out three envelopes. Dorothy handed them to her friends, and they opened them slowly, curiosity building. Dorothy watched anxiously as they read.  
  
"You're getting married?" asked Hickory.  
  
"Yes, David and I decided it is time for us to move to the next level of our relationship, that level being marriage. I'll then be queen of the Rose Kingdom, which will be officially finished in May, next month. All the citizens of the Rose Kingdom and the families of the dearly departed killed in the War of the Roses fourteen years ago, will all come back to us, along with some new residents. I would like the three of you to give me away at my wedding next week."  
  
Hunk scratched his head and thought for a moment.  
  
"Dorothy," he said. "Do you love this man?"  
  
"I do Hunk. I love him with every fiber of my being! David also gives his love to me in return. My life is nothing without him now. I would die for him, he is one with me."  
  
Hunk put his hand on Dorothy's cheek.  
  
"I want you to be happy. I've been thinking about that promise you made us ever since you left. I've been wondering where you were and if you were all right. I've been saying prayers that you wouldn't lose that honesty you always had so you would keep your promise. My mind can now rest at ease knowing that you're alive and well, and even more so now that I know you have a man who loves you and will take care of you. It would be our honor to give you away."  
  
Dorothy and Hunk hugged, and Zeke and Hickory joined in. Dorothy felt so good knowing that she had her family's approval.  
  
After spending the entire day in Kansas, Dorothy went back to Oz to finish preparations for her wedding.  
  
...The days seemed much longer now, that feeling of anticipation was building so rapidly. All of Oz was to be at this wedding, which was to take place in the chapel in the Emerald City, and then the reception gala would be held in the Emerald City gardens.  
  
On the morning of the wedding, Dorothy left for Kansas with the ruby slippers very early. She was not yet dressed in her wedding gown, she would wait until she got back to the Emerald City to change.  
  
"When you get to Oz," Dorothy told her friends. "Don't be afraid of the people. They're all very kind, though some of them appear different. No evil creatures shall be at my wedding."  
  
"Dorothy," said Hickory. "I hope you have some kind of security for your wedding. Since you're a queen and there are 'evil creatures' in this land, you don't want to risk getting attacked."  
  
"Oh, don't worry about that Hickory. We'll have Emerald Palace guards at every entrance of the chapel. All of Oz is invited, but there shall be no problems, I assure you. Now, we must hurry, I have to get back to the palace so I can get myself and my bridal party ready."  
  
The four of them stood in a circle. Dorothy in her white, silk robe, and Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke in their tuxedos. Dorothy clicked the ruby slippers together three times saying,  
  
"There's no place like Oz! There's no place like Oz!"  
  
They started to spin as the ground left their feet.  
  
"Dorothy?" asked Hunk. "What's happening?"  
  
"Don't open your eyes!" she replied. "You'll get lost if you do! The one time I opened my eyes, I lost my concentration and ended up in the Sahara desert."  
  
In what seemed like a lifetime, Dorothy, Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke landed on solid ground again.  
  
"You can open your eyes now."  
  
They opened their eyes to see the glorious Emerald City before them, glimmering brilliantly in the rising sunlight. Its beauty, however, was no where near that of the smiling bride's.  
  
"Welcome my friends, to the Emerald City! This is where I have been living ever since I left Kansas. Come, I'll walk you to the groomsman's room."  
  
The group of irregulars walked through the city streets, which were empty, for all of Oz declared this day a national holiday, and no one was to work so that they could attend the glorious event that was Dave and Dorothy's unity as husband and wife.  
  
Dorothy knocked on the door of the groomsman's room.  
  
"Who is it?" asked the voice of David's best man Dan, whom Dorothy had also become good friends with.  
  
"Dan, it's the bride. I've brought over Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke from home. Now listen, don't open the door until they tell you I'm gone. No one else is allowed to see the bride before the wedding, is that clear? It's bad luck!"  
  
Bad luck? Dorothy sighed silently. With her future, bad luck on her wedding day seemed to be the least of her troubles.  
  
Dorothy kissed her friends good-bye and walked away. When they said the bride was gone, Hunk, Hickory and Zeke were allowed access to the room.  
  
Inside were all the groomsman, and the nervous David, who was glad to hear that Dorothy was enthusiastic about their wedding day. When he met her family, they loved him immediately simply for treating their girl so well.  
  
It was six o' clock in the morning when Dorothy and her bridesmaids were finished with their hair.  
  
Dorothy's hair was half up half down, but the part that was up was tied in a bun in the shape of a rose. Her veil was custom-made to go around the bun so that it would show when she put the veil on. After the hair came the makeup.  
  
Dorothy was naturally beautiful on her own, so much so that she didn't need makeup, not even rouge was necessary to make Dorothy's cheeks rosy. Her bridesmaids, trying not to overdo anything as to not outshine the bride (a difficult task indeed) also decided to wear no makeup.  
  
After getting Carrie ready, who was to be the flower girl for the ceremony, everything but putting the dress on was complete.  
  
The dress was beautiful! It was completely white, with the exception of the train. The top of the dress was a tank-top which had pearls sewn into it, and it had a matching silk shall that went with it. The bottom of the dress itself was white silk as well. The train on the dress was made of white lace with red roses stitched into the lace.  
  
It was now seven o' clock, exactly an hour before the ceremony, and Dorothy was not nervous at all, much to her friends' surprise.  
  
"But, what if Dave decides he's not ready for marriage?" asked Ariel, followed by a sharp elbow to the stomach from Toni.  
  
"Well Ariel, I'm not worried about that at all. He'll be there, and even if he decided he wasn't ready, I would simply wait until he was. I love him."  
  
The other girls sighed. "  
  
Your relationship is too good to be true Dorothy Castine."  
  
"I won't be Dorothy Castine much longer." replied Dorothy. "In a few hours, I'll be Mrs. Dorothy Mary Lalia Gale Castine Callo."  
  
"That's a mouth full!" said Hope.  
  
All of the girls and the happy bride giggled like the school girls they once were.  
  
The hour passed by slowly, and everybody waited in the chapel with anticipation. Dave stood at the altar, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his bride.  
  
Meanwhile, Dorothy and her bridal party sat out in the carriage, waiting. They looked closely at Hunk's pocket watch, waiting until five minutes after eight o' clock.  
  
"Dorothy, why in God's name would you choose to be five minutes late to your own wedding?" asked Kristen.  
  
"Yes, you don't want my brother to drop dead from fright do you?" added Alyssa followed by the laughter of her friends.  
  
"I remember Auntie Em once told me that it's bad luck to be on time for your wedding. She said you should always be five minutes late, no more, no less."  
  
"Five minutes is up Dorothy." said Amber and Alicia in unison.  
  
"I'm so happy for you!" said Sarah.  
  
"Come on!" added Alex. "If we're another minute late, THEN it will be bad luck!"  
  
Dorothy was helped out of the carriage by Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke.  
  
The large chapel was packed with people, and there were more outside. When everybody was lined up in the correct order in the vestibule of the chapel, the music began to play.  
  
David watched as the bridesmaids and flower girl slowly processed down the aisle, and then Dorothy was revealed.  
  
His bride was being led by Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke. The veil was pulled over Dorothy's face, but her beauty shined with such a radiant light, that her face was quite visible.  
  
When the four of them reached the altar, Hunk lifted Dorothy's veil. All three of them kissed Dorothy on the cheek, and gave her hand to Dave.  
  
Dave took Dorothy's hand and smiled.  
  
"I love you." he whispered.  
  
Dorothy's eyes filled with tears of joy.  
  
"I love you too!" she whispered back.  
  
They faced the minister as he began the ceremony.  
  
People could be heard outside cheering. Dorothy didn't need to look over her shoulder to know that there was much drinking and celebrating outside. She laughed to herself.  
  
'So many people are happy for us.' she thought. 'What a nice way to start our life together!'  
  
After exchanging vows and getting lost in each other's eyes, it was the moment of truth.  
  
"I now pronounce you husband and wife." said the minister. "You may now kiss the bride."  
  
Dorothy and David turned to each other. He took hold of her arms, and gently brought her into a kiss.  
  
As they slowly kissed, the cheering inside and outside of the chapel began to ring, and everything faded but the two of them.  
  
Dorothy's mind flashed with pictures of their first shared kiss in the rain at the gates of the Emerald City, and then to the future. A horrific end. Dorothy knew it would be a painful fate, but at least they'd be together...forever...'till death do they part and meet again...  
  
All logical thought then vanished completely, along with all premonitions, as Dave put his arms on Dorothy's waist and pulled her closer, making the kiss go even deeper.  
  
Everybody could be heard cheering and celebrating, but nothing could tear them apart! When they finally parted, the organs played and they walked down the aisle.  
  
Instead of rice being thrown at Dave and Dorothy, everyone who attended received a small bag of red rose petals, which were lovingly thrown in the direction of the bride and groom as a sign of support and well wishes.  
  
Dorothy and Dave were then ushered to a room to wait until they were permitted to enter the reception, once everything was secure and safe.  
  
"Oh Dorothy," Dave said. "I love you so much my angel!"  
  
"I love you too, my darling!"  
  
They kissed again, soft, short, and sweet.  
  
Dorothy removed her train of roses and her veil, this made it easier to move about the reception so she could thank everyone for coming.  
  
At a large table sat the maid of honor, Glinda, the bride and groom, and the best man. At another table sat Dave's parents with Carrie, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, the Wizard, and two seats were left unoccupied in honor of Em and Henry Gale. The groomsmen sat at another table with the bridesmaids, and the rest of the guests were allowed any seat they desired.  
  
There was much dancing and celebrating. The wedding was truly magical. Glinda glanced over at Autumn, who was actively chatting with Dorothy, and nodded to herself. She would have a word with Dorothy as soon as she returned from her honeymoon next week.  
  
...'Maybe,' Glinda thought. 'I can stop some of this madness!'...  
  
How is it so far? Sorry this one took so long. Keep reading, more is coming soon.  
  
Tori 


	15. No Turning Back

A magical honeymoon had ended, and Dave and Dorothy returned to the Emerald Palace. In two weeks, the Rose Kingdom would open, and everything would fall into place...  
  
...As soon as Dorothy had finished unpacking her things, a messenger knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in." she said softly.  
  
The messenger walked in the room and saluted to Dorothy. Dorothy turned to him and said,  
  
"At ease. What may I do for you?"  
  
"Glinda the Good requests an immediate audience with your highness Queen Castine Callo. She says it's urgent and to meet her in the conference room."  
  
"Very well. Thank you."  
  
"Would you like me to escort you, majesty?"  
  
"No thank you, I'll be fine on my own. You are excused."  
  
"Yes, your highness."  
  
The messenger bowed respectfully and left the room, closing the door behind him. Dorothy closed her eyes.  
  
"Oh God!" she said to herself. "It's too soon!"  
  
Glinda was heavily concentrating. Visions were coming to her that she'd already seen before. They were being shown again, and it was clear that time was running out for Dorothy.  
  
A knock on the door broke her concentration, and then Glinda said,  
  
"Come in Dorothy."  
  
Dorothy hesitantly walked in and sat down.  
  
"Do you know why I've called you here?"  
  
Dorothy stared blankly ahead.  
  
"I have an idea. Please tell me what's going on Glinda."  
  
"Dorothy, I have some joyous news to share with you!" Glinda smiled. "You are pregnant! Your child is to be a girl, she will be born in late December. Do you have any questions?"  
  
"Several." Dorothy replied. "I know what is going to happen, I have had visions too. I also know that you didn't tell me, and you knew many years ago."  
  
Dorothy, in frustration, hit the table and stood, tears filling her eyes.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me as a child that this was going to happen? I then at least could've thought of some way to stop it!"  
  
Glinda stood to meet Dorothy's eyes.  
  
"I knew that if I told you the truth as a child that you would avoid your destiny. You can be certain of these things Dorothy: if I had told you as a child, you would not have married David, you would not have conceived this child or any child for that matter, because you would surely have been murdered in your bed by Mombi if you had not gone down this path!"  
  
Dorothy swallowed the lump in her throat and sat down.  
  
"I'm so sorry Glinda. I did not mean to get angry. I'm just scared. I want to raise my baby."  
  
"We will discuss that." said Glinda sitting down again. "But first I must inform you of something. I know who your murderer is. If you kill her, only death and spite will come to your child. In other words, you will have damned your child, your husband, and yourself to never see Heaven if you destroy that which will destroy you, do you understand?"  
  
Dorothy nodded.  
  
"I know all too well," she said. "The consequences of cheating fate."  
  
"Very well, then we may proceed." continued Glinda. "Your murderer will live in the Rose Kingdom, and was in your bridal party. You talked with this girl into all hours of the night during the time you were in school together. You convinced the rest of your friends to except her. Do you know who I speak of?"  
  
"Autumn McQue."  
  
Glinda nodded gravely in response.  
  
"Why tell me what is going to happen Glinda?" asked Dorothy. "Maybe it's better to just allow fate to play itself out."  
  
"No," Glinda replied. "You must live the remainder of your life in happiness, and so you must unfortunately budget carefully your time with your family. If you were not aware, you would have spent the rest of your life in denial and wasted this precious period of time with your new family."  
  
"I understand."  
  
Glinda breathed in slowly, and then exhaled silently.  
  
"Toward the end of your pregnancy, Autumn's parents will be murdered by Quadling rebels in the uprising. Among the suspects will be another one of your friends: Hope Ackerlin. She's a Quadling, she lived in the Quadling marshes during the Great Marsh Demolition. Hope and the other nine rebels will be sentenced to death. You must rescue Hope on the contingency that she does not rebel against the McQue family again. The Quadling marshes will be restored and that will be over and done with. However, Autumn will go through a change. She will go back to being bitter and cruel, and she'll take over the Ozian Power Company. She'll kill you after you shut the company down."  
  
"So Autumn's going to lose her sanity?"  
  
"I'm afraid so. Her parents disowned her after she declared she would not take over the company, and she will not speak to them again before they die. It will drive the poor girl to insanity."  
  
"Why would I shut the company down?"  
  
"Because Autumn shall know that Hope escaped her sentence and she will want to go back to the Quadling marshes. The company is planning on stopping the Quadling uprising and enslaving all the people that live there! You wouldn't want them to all be slaves to the Ozian Power Company, would you?"  
  
"No, of course not!"  
  
"Exactly the point."  
  
There was a brief moment of silence.  
  
"What of David? What will happen to the man that I love so dearly?" asked Dorothy in desperation of good news.  
  
"He will die too." said Glinda quietly.  
  
"Please tell me that I may die first."  
  
"Dave and yourself will die at the same time. This will be planned. You'll be forced to surrender, and Autumn will attack you. You must use the Power of the Rose to protect your daughter, and then she will live. Autumn will retreat to build herself a castle, and she will be called the Wicked Witch of Oz."  
  
"You still have not told me who will raise her!"  
  
"Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion will go to the Rose Kingdom to find you. Alyssa will take the throne and rule over the Rose Kingdom for you. They'll take your child to the Emerald Palace, and they will raise her there. They will also make sure that you and your husband are given a royal burial. I will inform your family in Kansas of your death. You will have but one opportunity to bring the child to see Hunk, Hickory and Zeke before you pass away, so do not miss that chance. Now, you must do something, or your baby will not survive the attack."  
  
"Tell me," said Dorothy. "I will do anything to spare my baby!"  
  
"The ruby slippers cannot stay in their current form. They must be changed to the form of a necklace in secret. You will make a ruby cross out of them so that when you die, Autumn will not get her hands on that power. Before you are executed, you will put the necklace on your baby, and you will write a note to Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. You will leave the note in your child's dress so they will find it."  
  
A tear slipped from Dorothy's eye.  
  
Glinda got up and took Dorothy into her embrace.  
  
"I love you like my own Dorothy, you know that." she sobbed. "Go, tell your friends and your husband the joyous news. Live the rest of your life to the absolute fullest, and rejoice that if you do what I say, you and David will see a glorious eternity in Heaven."  
  
Dorothy smiled and returned Glinda's warm embrace.  
  
"Thank you Glinda!"  
  
Dorothy happily rushed to her bedroom to find David sitting at the desk reading. He stood to greet her.  
  
"Hello darling!" he said as he kissed her cheek. "I hear you were in a meeting with Glinda. What news did she have to share with you?"  
  
"The happiest news that have ever reached my ears Dave!" Dorothy put her arms on Dave's neck. "We're going to have a baby girl!"  
  
David passionately kissed his wife, and then lifted her up and spun her around.  
  
"A baby? This is WONDERFUL! We must tell our family and friends immediately!"  
  
...Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, all of Dorothy's friends, and the Wizard were all gathered in the dining hall of the Emerald City. They had been invited to a special dinner so that Dorothy and Dave could make an announcement.  
  
Alyssa, Sarah, Alisha, Amber, Toni, Hope, Ariel, Alexandria, Autumn and Kristen sat around the table, wondering what was going on.  
  
"Scarecrow?" asked Ariel. "Do you know what the big announcement is?"  
  
"We are just as much in the dark as the rest of you are." Scarecrow replied.  
  
Dorothy and Dave walked in the room hand in hand. Everyone stopped speaking immediately.  
  
"We have something to tell all of you." said Dave nudging his wife gently.  
  
"This news is joyous indeed." she said.  
  
The group of people sitting at the table were paying full attention, and then Hope said,  
  
"Well, come on! Don't leave us in such suspense, tell us!"  
  
Dorothy smiled.  
  
"Dear friends, we're going to have a baby!"  
  
Everyone's eyes widened and the girls leapt up and started screaming.  
  
"We will announce to the public on the day of the opening of the Rose Kingdom." added Dave.  
  
Alyssa burst into tears and hugged her brother and sister-in-law/best friend Dorothy, rubbed her belly and said,  
  
"Dear Lord in Heaven! I'm going to be an aunt!"  
  
Dorothy then rushed over to Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. They were so happy for her! Lion nearly threw Dorothy in the air when she hugged him.  
  
Shortly after the announcement, dinner was served, and all the worries of the future disintegrated as the night progressed. '  
  
What will be, will be.' Dorothy thought. 'But I intend to leave this world a good friend, a good wife, a good mother, and the happiest of women.'  
  
Two weeks later, Dorothy and Dave stood outside the gates of the new Rose Kingdom. People from far and wide came to be citizens, and the ceremony began.  
  
Dorothy, being the heir to the throne, stood by the gates (which were tied closed with a ribbon) and began to speak to the people. She wore a long white dress, and a diamond tiara adorned her head.  
  
"I am honored to be here today." she said. "For today, we bring back the legacy and beauty of the Rose Kingdom. My mother and father lived, fought for, and died for the pride of this great kingdom. I promise you, all of you, that my husband David and I will always protect this kingdom!"  
  
The people cheered.  
  
Dorothy took Dave's hand and brought him to the gates with her.  
  
"And now," she said. "The King of the Rose Kingdom, my husband David Callo, would like to make an announcement."  
  
He cleared his throat.  
  
"I am filled with joy at the sight of this beautiful land that is about to open up to us and to the future generations. Dorothy and I have already started the new generation."  
  
Dave looked into the beautiful blue eyes of his wife, as a tear slipped from her eye. He gently wiped it from her face.  
  
"We are going to give you a princess, this December." Dave said.  
  
The people began cheering and dancing! A royal princess would mean happiness and propriety in the land, and a set heir for the kingdom to depend upon.  
  
Dorothy's friends made their way up to the front gates. Amber gave her autograph all the way up, for she had become a famous Ozian singer.  
  
When they were all in their proper place, Dorothy said,  
  
"May we all enjoy a peaceful life in the glorious Rose Kingdom!"  
  
Dorothy cut the ribbon and all the people processed into the city.  
  
Dorothy allowed tears of joy to stream down her face. People shook her hand and kissed her cheek as they entered the gates of the city and went to their new homes.  
  
Dorothy and Dave were now the king and queen of the Rose Kingdom.  
  
...'Now I can get some things in order.'...  
  
Well, that's it for now. I hope everybody's enjoying. E-mail me at or give me a great review! Keep reading!  
  
Tori 


	16. Rosaria

Things went exactly the way Glinda said they would. It was eerie how fast the months were coming and going.  
  
Nine months went by. Dorothy, oddly enough, didn't gain a lot of weight during her pregnancy, and she still maintained her beauty.  
  
She had not yet given birth on that day...the day the final stage of her destiny would unfold.  
  
Dorothy was sitting at her desk in the royal study of the Rose Palace. Suddenly, Dave came rushing in the room, kissed her, and then said,  
  
"We have a problem sweetheart!"  
  
"David darling, what's the matter?"  
  
"Autumn's parents were killed. She went into a fit, and she took a bunch of the company's crew with her to the Quadling marshes! She says she's going to find the murderers, and she swears on their souls that she will stop the Quadling uprising. Hope is among the suspects! The girls tried to get Autumn under control, but they could say nothing to calm her."  
  
"And so the darkness awakens." said Dorothy softly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing. I will go to the marshes to speak to her. Maybe I can also get the murderers to confess, then at least I can do something to help Hope."  
  
"I won't allow you to go alone. I'd go with you, but I must do my monthly inspection of the city. I'll send five soldiers with you."  
  
"Why waste the use of five soldiers on me? I will bring ten soldiers with me to the marshes, but they will be there for the specific purpose of guarding the Quadling people."  
  
Dorothy summoned her secretary.  
  
"Yes your highness? What may I do for you?"  
  
"Send a messenger to the Emerald Palace please. Make sure the messenger gives this to the Wizard."  
  
Dorothy handed Francesca a scroll that she had quickly scribbled something on.  
  
"Tell whomever you send that it's urgent, and they should go without delay. Give them my stallion, for it is the fastest."  
  
"It shall be done promptly your highness."  
  
The little woman scurried out of the office.  
  
Dorothy was embraced by her husband.  
  
"Oh Dave, the last thing I want to do is go into a war with the Ozian Power Company."  
  
"I know Dorothy. I feel the same." Dave replied. "But I suppose everything has a purpose. There must be some reason why all of this is happening."  
  
Dorothy nodded, and lifted her head from Dave's chest. Still in Dave's arms, Dorothy looked up at him. He smiled, and they shared a kiss. When they parted, he whispered softly, tears in his eyes,  
  
"Be careful, my love."  
  
...Dorothy gathered ten of the best soldiers together and gave them instructions.  
  
"Listen up!" she said. "I will handle negotiations with Ms. McQue. Your assignment will be to guard the people in village. Any questions?"  
  
The soldiers exchanged worried looks.  
  
"Please gentlemen, if you have a question, don't hesitate to come forward with them."  
  
"Your majesty?" asked one of the men. "What about the security plans concerning you?"  
  
"Don't worry about me." Dorothy replied. "I'll be busy with Autumn and the rebels. You just worry about the security of those people. I won't have one single civilian death, is that understood?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
"Then let's be on our way!"  
  
The message reached the Emerald City a half an hour after the departure of the carrier. They were in the royal chamber discussing business when the correspondence was handed to the guard.  
  
A guard knocked on the door of the chamber, and the Wizard said,  
  
"Enter!"  
  
The guard handed the scroll to the Wizard.  
  
"It's an urgent message from the Rose Kingdom. The messenger said it is of paramount importance and should be taken care of immediately."  
  
Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion exchanged glances.  
  
"Very well." said the Wizard. "It shall be done immediately. Thank you!"  
  
The scroll was opened. The Wizard read it aloud. It said:  
  
Dearest friends,  
I cannot express the importance of this correspondence. The Quadling Kells are under attack by Autumn McQue and the Ozian Power Company. Autumn's parents were murdered this morning by Quadling rebels. Our beloved friend, Hope Ackerlin, is among the suspects. I only pray that I can negotiate with Autumn. I'm on my way now with ten Rose Kingdom soldiers to the Quadling Kells. I ask your immediate military support! There is only so much eleven beings can do in a situation like this. I cannot afford to leave my people unprotected at a time like this, so I cannot spare any more soldiers from the city. My husband is at the moment detained, my soldiers and I are on our own. If the people become unreasonable, or too rowdy, it could result in civilian deaths, and the deaths and injuries of my soldiers. Please send help!  
  
Dorothy  
"We'd better hurry!" said Tin Man.  
  
Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and fifty Emerald City soldiers went immediately to the Quadling Kells.  
  
When they reached their destination, what they saw, was a truly horrific site!  
  
"Autumn, listen to me." Dorothy said in a soft voice.  
  
Autumn stood before Dorothy with a knife to a Quadling's neck, crying hysterically.  
  
"That woman has done nothing to you! Your parents' murderers have been arrested and taken to prison. They have been given the sentence of death for their crime. Slitting the throats of the innocent will help no one!"  
  
"Why should I allow more of them to reproduce so they can go on to kill me? My own friend has betrayed me!" Autumn screamed.  
  
"Autumn, put the knife down. Let her go! It will not bring them back!"  
  
Autumn then dropped the knife and fell to her knees. Soldiers immediately grabbed the knife and secured Autumn.  
  
Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion ran instantly to Dorothy's side. They embraced her and looked her over.  
  
"Are you ok Dorothy?" asked Lion.  
  
"Yes, I am all right, thanks to you!"  
  
"Are you sure? Perhaps you should be examined by a doctor, just to make sure everything is truly all right."  
  
"I'm fine, really! Everything is all right now."  
  
"Dorothy?" asked Lion. "Is it true about Hope? Is she going to die?"  
  
"No Lion. I've negotiated with the Quadlings and Hope. She is going to be released along with five others. The rest of them I am sure would attack again. They are on strict probation, and if they slip up or are charged with another serious crime, they will spend the rest of their lives in prison. As for the other four people involved in this heinous crime, I'm afraid we are too late to help them. They are completely unstable, and must be stopped before they hurt anyone else, or themselves for that matter."  
  
...Dave had just come home from the inspection when he was immediately called down to the conference room.  
  
Autumn sat in a chair, a blank look on her face, mascara dripping slowly down her face. Dave took a seat across from her. She was the first one to speak.  
  
"I want to watch Hope's execution. I want to see her suffer badly for what she has done."  
  
Dave looked at his hands.  
  
"Hope will not be executed."  
  
Autumn's face shot up and looked directly at his.  
  
"What do you mean? She murdered my parents! She must die!"  
  
"Dorothy didn't have the heart to speak to you just yet. She sent me down here to inform you of what's going to be done. In truth, Hope had very little to do with the murders of your mother and father. She was with them, however, when they planned it, and didn't inform the police in time. A report was filed by Hope and the other five people who didn't want to be a part of it, but by then it was too late. The murderers' plans were already in action."  
  
"LIES!" Autumn screamed. "IT'S ALL LIES! I can see the stains of blood on Hope's hands! You are saying this only to protect her!"  
  
"No Autumn, I would not lie to you. Hope has done nothing to warrant the punishment of death."  
  
"If you speak nothing but truth to me, then inform me of this: what is going to be done about the other four people who DID kill my mother and father?"  
  
"They will be publicly executed."  
  
"In what form?"  
  
"They will be hanged."  
  
Autumn grinned and a chill went down Dave's spine.  
  
"I love that idea. Making it public is a very good thing. It will let the people know not to mess with the Ozian Power Company or the McQue family."  
  
"That's the other thing I had to discuss with you." Dave said, shaking off the chill as nothing. "The Rose Kingdom and Emerald City officials have collaborated and together, we have made a decision. We are shutting down the Ozian Power Company."  
  
Autumn's eyes went wide.  
  
"What? You can't do that David!"  
  
"I'm afraid we must. You almost used your company to enslave the Quadling people, it's not safe to let the company live on."  
  
"Oh I just made one mistake, it's nothing!"  
  
"Your 'mistake' almost cost hundreds of lives."  
  
"A minor detail that should be forgotten. Besides, Oz will have no power without my company."  
  
"We have found that all of the major cities have enough power in them for the entire land of Oz. We're going to put all of Oz on the same power grids as the Emerald City, the Rose Kingdom, and Gillikin."  
  
"How can this be?" Autumn asked, her eyes wide.  
  
"I know this is a difficult time for you." said Dave. "That is why we have decided that it would be best to make sure you go to therapy for the time being. Nothing in your daily routine will change, you'll just talk to the doctor once a day."  
  
"I won't." Autumn said quietly.  
  
"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter Autumn." he said as he put her hand on Autumn's shoulder. "Dorothy and I are so sorry for your loss."  
  
Dave walked out of the conference room in silence.  
  
"I have no say, your highness?" Autumn said under her breath.  
  
She started to cackle and cry, two guards took her to a secured room where she spent the rest of the week.  
  
...One week had passed, and it was the day of the execution of the four criminals who killed the McQues.  
  
Autumn sat in the first row, escorted by two guards. She sat there smirking, not saying a word. Dorothy could see that Autumn was losing her mind.  
  
The Autumn that would kill her was clearly not the girl Dorothy spent the greater part of her adolescent years with. This was not the girl who laughed with Dorothy into the night at school, and loved to play games with the girls. No, this was a different person altogether.  
  
Dorothy stood at the front of the crowd as the ropes were put around the necks of the four Quadling criminals.  
  
"These people behind me have been convicted of the murders of Trent and Sophia McQue. They shall pay with their lives. Let it be known that the Rose Kingdom will not tolerate such horrible behavior, and anyone who does the same, whomever they may be, will suffer the same fate."  
  
Dorothy sat, and the one-hundred or so people in the crowd watched.  
  
One by one, the floors beneath the criminals dropped out and the ropes caught their necks. They died immediately. Autumn looked over at Dorothy and said,  
  
"They deserve to suffer more than this."  
  
Dorothy ignored the remark, but could not ignore what the fourth criminal said before he was executed.  
  
"We'll see you in hell, Autumn McQue!"  
  
The floor dropped out, and the fourth person died. Dorothy assumed that no one else had heard, for no one acknowledged it. A tear fell from her eyes, and Dave put a supportive arm around her.  
  
"What is it Dorothy?" Dave asked.  
  
His wife looked up at him.  
  
"May God have mercy on her."  
  
An intense pain ran throughout Dorothy's body.  
  
"Oh my God!" she said. "David, the baby is coming!"  
  
Dorothy's husband and friends immediately got her to the hospital, where she gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, baby girl late on the eve of December 30th, just as Glinda had predicted.  
  
Just as Dorothy had been, the new princess was born wrapped in golden angel's wings. She didn't cry when she was born, just looked around at the world, and smiled innocently, gaining the love and affection of every nurse, doctor, and of course, that of her parents the minute they saw her.  
  
The baby girl was named Rosaria Antonia Castine Callo, heir to the throne of the Rose Kingdom.  
  
Two nights after the birth, Dorothy felt well enough to go to Kansas to share the news and introduce the new baby to Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke. Dave couldn't go with her due to the McQue problem, for that morning, Autumn had gone missing. He and several guards searched frantically for the escaped woman.  
  
Dorothy took the ruby slippers into her hands.  
  
'This is the last time I should use these before I change their form.' she thought.  
  
Dorothy took her sweet angel into her hands, and immediately Rosaria giggled. Dorothy smiled and kissed her daughter's small hand.  
  
"I love you Rosaria. I love you so much."  
  
Dorothy clicked the heals of the ruby slippers together three times, and said,  
  
"There's no place like home!"  
  
Dorothy's feet touched the ground a moment later. She looked down at Rosaria, who seemed unaffected by the trip, and said to her quietly,  
  
"This is where I grew up."  
  
Dorothy looked around. The farm was obviously still prospering, even in the winter months.  
  
Though there was a bit of snow on the ground, Dorothy guessed it was a mild winter thus far, for the sun was warm on her face, and the livestock looked quite healthy. Zeke was feeding the horses, and the other two were out of Dorothy's plain sight.  
  
Zeke looked up from his work when he saw a woman walking toward him. She had her head down, she was holding something wrapped in beautiful white blankets, obviously something precious. She was wearing flowing white robes and a white and gold gown underneath them.  
  
The woman looked up, and Dorothy's smiling face was revealed!  
  
Zeke dropped his work immediately and ran out to greet Dorothy. He hugged her and kissed her, and then escorted her to the house. He did not yet notice that it was a baby tucked in the blanket she held.  
  
Hunk and Hickory were also thrilled to see her. They sat her down at the table and gave her some bacon and eggs.  
  
"A pregnant woman's got to eat right." said Hunk. "You're Aunt Em used to say, 'When you're eating for two, eat like a pig!'."  
  
"Well," said Dorothy with a glowing grin on her face. "I'm a pregnant woman no longer."  
  
Hunk, Hickory and Zeke all simultaneously cocked their eyebrows. Dorothy giggled, and then lifted the blanket to the table. She unwrapped it, and there lay Rosaria.  
  
They congratulated her with proud smiles! They held Rosaria, and looked upon her with more love than they had since Dorothy was a child.  
  
"Dorothy, I think there's something wrong with her." said Hickory pointing to Rosaria's glowing rose on her forehead. "I don't believe that's normal."  
  
Dorothy laughed.  
  
"Hickory, for us it's normal." Dorothy closed her eyes and allowed the rose to appear on her forehead as well. "It comes from the fact that both Rosaria and I originate from Castine blood, and so we carry with us every day the power of the Rose."  
  
"She's absolutely beautiful Dorothy." said Hunk. "Just like her mother."  
  
Dorothy smiled and each of her friends kissed her cheek.  
  
"Boy Dorothy," said Hickory. "You're just full of surprises these days! You know, we're all heading towards our fortieth year, we're becoming old men. We can't handle too many of these surprises."  
  
"Speak for yourself!" said Zeke. "I'm as healthy as a horse."  
  
Zeke attempted to make a muscle, which didn't result in much. Dorothy giggled to herself.  
  
...Dorothy arrived back in Oz at about six o' clock.  
  
'It's time.' she thought.  
  
Dorothy put Rosaria to sleep. She said a prayer, and then clicked the heels of the ruby slippers three times.  
  
After an abundance of glowing, the slippers left her feet, and she felt a heavy object appear in her hands. Dorothy looked down to see a necklace in her hands.  
  
It was made of rubies, with a silver lining on it. It had a large piece of yellow gold in the center, where the power of the Rose was kept. Because Rosaria was not of pure Castine blood, the power of the Rose would not be completely instilled in her body until she was older, so the necklace would make it possible for Rosaria to have it all the time. The rest of the necklace was made of rubies, where the powers of the ruby slippers resided.  
  
Now that this was taken care of, Dorothy had some work to do.  
  
That night, she sat up as her husband slept. She wrote two letters. One to Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, and then one to Rosaria. Glinda had only told her to write one letter. '  
  
But,' Dorothy thought. 'I refuse to leave my daughter without allowing her to hear something from me. I won't leave her without something to remember David and I by.'  
  
She kissed the letters, and then sprayed a little of her perfume on the letter to Rosaria.  
  
'Since you won't remember how I smelled,' she thought. 'I'll give you a little for later.'  
  
Pictures would be all Rosaria would have of Dave and Dorothy, her parents, the people who brought her into the world, and most of all and definitely most importantly, the ones who loved her more than anyone ever could.  
  
'I now realize, I had no idea what love was until I had you, dear Rosaria! Though I love Dave with all my being, a person's heart is never completely in love until they feel the love for their child. This is the greatest gift that God has ever given me!' Dorothy thought.  
  
...A tear fell...  
  
Well, that's the next chapter. Is it absolutely eating you up inside what's going to happen next? There's going to be a surprise twist, so keep reading! E-mails and reviews people!  
  
Tori 


	17. Bittersweet Goodbye

With very little time left, Dorothy was scrambling, making sure that everything would be taken care of once destiny had taken its toll. 

Wills were drawn up for Dave and Dorothy. Custody papers, just in case, were made to Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion so that no one could dispute them taking Rosaria into their care. It was made clear that Alyssa was to take over the throne of the Rose Kingdom.

Now that Rosaria's future was set, Dorothy knew what was coming...

...One night, Dorothy was sitting in the living room. It had a large marble fire place, blue and gold wall paper, and high arched ceilings. The room was beautifully furnished, and the lights were turned out so that the baby could sleep. The soothing glow of the fireplace softly lit the room.

Dorothy sat in a rocking chair with Rosaria in her arms, and Dave sat at a desk in the corner, about ten feet away, reading a book.

Dorothy hummed a soft lullaby to Rosaria.

Suddenly, Dorothy's eyes began to glow, and the visions came back to her.

"Oh God!" she said under her breath. "David, it's time."

He cocked an eyebrow, and Dorothy ran to his side, Rosaria still in her arms.

The doors to the living room burst open, and dead soldiers fell in a heap on the floor. Dorothy gasped as blood began cascading in a puddle on the floor. A laugh was heard, and in walked Autumn McQue.

"The tables have turned Dorothy." Autumn cackled.

Dave looked at Dorothy, and seeing his wife's fear, immediately took action.

"It's a shame I have to fight you Autumn. I don't want to kill you." said Dave.

He stood slowly and unsheathed his sword.

"You're puny knife will do nothing against me. Remember, I was trained at the top school for sorcery in all of Oz!" Autumn replied.

Autumn then pulled out a glowing, black sword from thin air. Dave, determined to protect his wife and daughter, courageously charged forward.

They fought hard, both Autumn and Dave refusing to give up. The sounds of the clashing swords made Dorothy's heart bleed.

Dorothy sat behind the desk, watching in silence, holding Rosaria close to her. The child didn't make a sound. Dorothy took this opportunity, and slipped the ruby and gold cross onto Rosaria's neck, and then put the two notes she had written in Rosaria's dress.

"I love you baby!" she whispered.

Dorothy laid Rosaria gently down on the chair, (making certain she would not fall) kissed her daughter on the forehead for the last time, and left to meet her fate.

Autumn had Dave on the ground, her sword to his neck. Dorothy ran and kicked Autumn hard in the side, making her fall to the ground in pain.

Autumn struggled back to her feet, out of breath. Dorothy stood in front of her husband, who was wounded on the ground. Autumn was about to strike Dorothy when she said,

"Go ahead Autumn, kill the one friend you know will never betray you!"

Autumn stopped dead in her tracks.

"You know I have to Dorothy! I cannot allow you to live, or everything I have planned will die."

"Is it worth it Autumn?" Dorothy asked, tears forming in her eyes. "Is it worth it?"

Autumn's eyes softened a bit, but then began to glow a red color. She said as if in a trance,

"Dorothy, fetch your child and bring her here."

Dorothy did as told, shaking with fear.

Dave stood, and held Dorothy and Rosaria close. Just as Autumn shot black energy at them, the power of the Rose took effect, and golden wings spread from Dorothy's back.

The pain was excruciating! Dorothy did not have enough power to protect herself, Dave, and Rosaria, so she was careful to cover her daughter at all costs.

They screamed in pain, and guards from the halls attempted to rescue them, but to no avail. With her other hand, Autumn killed them all before they even had a chance.

Dave held tight to his beloved wife, taking away whatever pain he could from her limp little body. When they could take no more, Dave and Dorothy fell to the ground.

It was as if everything was in slow motion. Dorothy held tightly to Rosaria and Dave, but it wasn't enough. When Dorothy landed on the ground, her head landed on Dave's chest, and Rosaria slipped from her grasp. The child's spine crashed upon the wood floor.

Rosaria let out gentle cries, as if she understood everything around her.

Autumn, shocked and horrified at what she'd done to her best friends in the world, ran to the West, where she would begin a new reign of terror.

Dave and Dorothy struggled to breathe. He put his hand on his wife's head, and held her close to him, making sure they'd be together in these, their last moments on earth together.

"Dorothy," Dave choked out. "I love you so much!"

Dorothy gasped for air.

"I...I love you too David...so much I love you!"

Together they slipped from life, leaving nothing but little Rosaria under Dorothy's wing, which changed from gold to white as the power in her body died away...

...An hour later, a correspondence was received by the Wizard in the Emerald City. When he read it, everything began to spin. The little girl he'd watched grow up, and had thought of as his own daughter, was dead. How could this be? The Dorothy they knew was always invincible.

The Wizard called Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion to the conference room.

"Why are you calling upon us so late?" asked Tin Man.

The Wizard said nothing, he didn't have the heart. With tears slipping slowly down his cheeks, he simply handed Scarecrow the letter. He read aloud:

There has been an attack on the Rose Kingdom. King David and queen Dorothy Callo were found dead, princess Rosaria severely injured. The princess is being examined carefully, it is believed that the child fell in the arms of her mother, and the princess' back hit the floor, causing severe damage to her spine. It is not clear if princess Rosaria will ever walk. Two notes were found with the child, one is addressed to Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. Please come immediately to claim the letter.

In shock, they did not know what to make of it. Crying seemed to be the first instinct, but now they would need to be strong for Rosaria's sake! Immediately, they went to the Rose Kingdom.

There sat the girls, all crying, trying desperately to help poor Alyssa, who sat in a chair in the parlor in which her brother and sister-in-law were murdered.

When Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion walked in, Alyssa looked up at them. She held her arms, rocking back and forth, and said through her sobs,

"Autumn killed them."

"Autumn McQue? Where is she now?" asked Scarecrow, who fought desperately to keep a level head in the midst of all this sorrow.

Hope shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"She ran away to the West, she's hiding somewhere out there. She killed every guard in her path on the way. She'll enslave the poor Winkies again. This is all my fault, if only I'd gone to prison and taken my punishment, Autumn wouldn't have taken out her anger on Dorothy and Dave."

Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion looked over at the bodies, which had not yet been moved. Lion walked over and knelt down next to Dorothy.

She and her husband looked as if they were merely sleeping. Dorothy's cheeks were still rosy, and Dave held her gently, as if helping her slip into a peaceful slumber with him.

A tear slipped from Lion's eye.

"Don't go Dorothy!" he whispered. "Please don't go!"

...Rosaria was examined, and the results were horrific. It was said that she would never walk.

Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, were given the letter Dorothy left for them. It said:

Dearest Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion,

Only you I trust to tell this to. I know of my fate, that I shall perish along with David. I know that I shall leave my daughter at a tender age. I ask that you take her in until she is old enough to rule over the Rose Kingdom. Until then, it is my wish that Alyssa takes control of the throne. Glinda, who informed me of all of this, promised to inform my family in Kansas of our deaths. Now, there is a secret you must always keep. The power of the Rose and the power of the ruby slippers I have combined in a necklace that Rosaria is wearing. Make certain that this necklace stays with my daughter at all times. Dear friends, I want you to raise our little girl, I know it is best. There is another note that I left with Rosaria, it is for her to read when she's older. Please do not open it, let her read it. That note is the only time Rosaria will ever hear words from her mother, so make sure she gets it when she is ready for it. Autumn is the murderer, and she will flee to the West and become the next Wicked Witch of Oz, which is why it is so crucial that the secret of that necklace stays hidden. If she gets her hands on that necklace, Oz is doomed! It is just as it was years ago when the Wicked Witch of the West was after the ruby slippers, and the same cautionary measures must be taken. Be sure to hide or destroy this letter after you are done reading it, it is key that Autumn does not find out about the power I have bestowed upon my daughter. Because Rosaria is not of pure Castine blood, now that I am gone, the power of the Rose will not be with her unless she is wearing that necklace, so be careful with it. I love you all so much. Give my love to the girls, and my deepest condolences to Alyssa.

Love Always,  
Dorothy

"What are we to do?" asked Tin Man, a tear slipping down his face. "Dorothy is the reason we're even in the Emerald City. What will we do without her?"

Lion grabbed the oil can and when Tin Man was back in shape, Lion said,

"We're going to take care of Rosaria, aren't we?"

"Of course Lion." said Scarecrow. "That's what Dorothy wanted. Besides, I love Rosaria just as much as I love Dorothy, and I'll watch over her no matter what, and I know you'll do the same."

They nodded. The three of them simultaneously looked over at the bodies of the two lovers.

They looked so peaceful...

...Glinda knew immediately what had happened, and decided that she would go to Kansas the next morning. When she looked around at the farm, Glinda knew why Dorothy had held it so dear. A man was sitting on the porch, and he ran to greet Glinda.

Hunk knew who she was, he'd met her at Dorothy's wedding.

"It's wonderful to see you Miss Glinda, but why are you here?" she asked.

Glinda looked down. She gently put a hand on Hunk's shoulder.

"Dorothy and David were...they were...were...murdered, last night. I'm so sorry."

Hunk ran his hands through his hair, closing his eyes tightly, and struggled to hold back tears.

"Thank you for the information." he choked out, but a tear fell in spite of him.

He couldn't help himself, the tears were uncontrollable and painful.

"I request that you come with me for the funeral service which is to be held tomorrow."

Hunk nodded.

"We have to go tell the others." he said drying his tears.

They walked back to the farm house to speak of the tragic news.

...Dorothy and David said in their wills that they would want to be cremated together and spread over the Rose River, which resided in the vast gardens of the Rose Kingdom.

On the day of the funeral, the sun was shining as if Dorothy herself were there. After the prayers had been said, Amber stood. Now Amber was an Oz-wide singing sensation. Thousands of people from all over Oz came to the funeral, mourning the loss of Dorothy and Dave.

So many people had loved that little girl they always knew as Dorothy Gale, the savior and goddess of Oz. There wasn't a single Munchkin that wasn't there that day.

Amber spoke these words:

"I loved Dorothy and David. They are family to me and all the rest of our friends that went to school with us, and even many that didn't. Life wouldn't have been the same without them. Over the last ten years or so, we have grown together, and gone through some of our roughest times with Dorothy and David's support."

Amber was desperately hanging on to what little composure she kept. She cleared her throat and then continued.

"We were all devastated when we heard the news of their deaths. It came as a shock to all. I wrote a song for them, and I'd like to sing it to you now as the ashes of our beloved friends are released. I entitled this song Fly."

Alyssa was escorted by Hope and Ariel to retrieve the urn which held her beloved brother and sister-in-law. Hope and Ariel stood on either side of Alyssa as they walked up the path to the bridge which went over the Rose River.

Violins began to play the sweet melody, and Amber's smooth voice began to sing softly.

Fly, fly little wing Fly beyond imagining The softest cloud, the whitest dove Upon the wind of heaven's love Past the planets and the stars Leave this lonely world of ours Escape the sorrow and the pain And fly again...

Amber became slightly louder.

Fly, fly precious one Your endless journey has begun Take your gentle happiness Far too beautiful for this Cross over to the other shore There is peace forevermore But hold this memory bittersweet Until we meet...

Now the violins became significantly louder, and Amber's voice along with it. The song also became an octave higher.

Fly, fly do not fear Don't waist a breath, don't shed a tear Your heart is pure, your soul is free Be on your way, don't wait for me Above the universe you'll climb On beyond the hands of time The moon will rise, the sun will set But I won't forget...

Now Alyssa reached the bridge, and Hope and Ariel waited at the bottom as she went up and stopped at the center. Amber went into the high soprano range and began singing:

Oooooooo!

Tears slipped from the singer's eyes, but her voice stayed clear.

Alyssa opened the urn, the ashes of Dorothy and Dave were caught by the wind, and carried over the Rose River.

"Goodbye dear ones!" she whispered as tears flooded her eyes again.

After Alyssa began walking back, the last verse of the song began. Amber's voice now cracked, and she didn't even bother holding any tears back.

Fly, fly little wing Fly where only angels sing Fly away, the time is right Go now, find the light...

...The sobs of the crowd could be heard for miles...

Well, that is the last chapter of Act 1 of Awakening: A Wizard of Oz Continuation. I hope you have enjoyed it so far. I know it's sad, but I think it's important to remind readers that Dorothy is a human being like the rest of us, just with some extraordinary abilities. Now the second stage begins. E-mail me at or write a review for the story. I love hearing your feedback, it helps me to write better. I used Celine Dion's song "Fly" for this chapter, the one that Amber sings. If you listen to it as you read, I swear you'll cry! It's on her Falling Into You album, the last song (#14 on the cd) and it's beautiful. I hope you already have the cd, if you don't, go get it...it's her best work! Hold tight, more is coming soon.

Tori


	18. Author's Notes Act 2

Act one has been completed. A lot of hard work and effort has been thrown into this story. I would like to once again give credit to the book Wicked, which was a great deal of help in terms of the places that some of the scenes took place.   
  
The second act is now about to begin, and I hope you enjoy it. This is the continuation of the continuation. ^_^ Rosaria, Dorothy's daughter, now must go on a journey of her own and make it through life without her mother, without her father, and without the use of her legs. Also, she's now got the Wicked Witch of Oz (a.k.a. Autumn McQue) on her tail. Keep reading to find out what will become of the land of Oz!  
  
~*Tori*~  
  
P.S.- Hugs and kisses to my friends and my boyfriend! You guys are my greatest inspiration! ^_~ 


	19. Trapped Body Racing Heart

"Rosaria?" spoke the voice of Katherine, an Emerald City servant. "Rosaria dear, wake up! You have to go to breakfast!"

The nine year old girl pulled the covers over her head and groaned,

"Please let me sleep just a bit longer, Katherine."

Katherine frowned and pulled the covers off of the bed, revealing Rosaria beneath it.

"I can't princess! You have to go to breakfast. Remember? You auntie Alyssa is visiting from the Rose Kingdom this morning to give you a status report on your land. Don't you want to know how everything is going?"

Rosaria groaned again and sat up.

Being a child without the use of her legs was extremely difficult, and Rosaria guessed it would be inconvenient had she not grown up this way. Katherine helped her dress, and then Rosaria pulled herself on to her flyer.

A flyer had the same build as a chair, the only difference being that when you sat on it, the legs would fold up and it would hover. It was invented for racers, but Rosaria used it for her own purposes.

The young girl, though still small, was wise in her way, and found that regular wheelchairs were much too restrictive for her taste. Often Rosaria would sneak out of the palace at night to go be with her friends, who also had flyers, and they would race all night long. Having been caught and punished many times, however, the twilight races were becoming less frequent.

After getting washed, and dressed, Rosaria began to hover down the halls of the Emerald Palace on her flyer to go to breakfast. 

Rosaria had long brown hair like her mother's, but she had deep brown eyes like her father's. Rosaria was told so many wonderful stories about her parents David and Dorothy. People called her mother a goddess, and said that someday, Rosaria would follow her. Rosaria was forced to always wear the necklace her mother gave her as a gesture of respect.

Rosaria didn't mind it much, she loved dreaming about Dorothy. She often wondered how life would have been different had her parents been alive. Rosaria emitted a sigh as she entered the dining hall of the Emerald Palace.

"Good morning Rosaria!" Alyssa said as she ran to hug her niece.

Though running the Rose Kingdom was difficult, Alyssa would have to wait until Rosaria was eighteen before she could take over.

"Would you like to hear the status of the Rose Kingdom?" asked Alyssa.

"Yes please auntie."

"Well, I'm happy to report that all inspections were passed with flying colors this month, and everything is wonderful. The people are happy, and every business in the city is prospering as usual."

"Excellent!" said Rosaria.

Scarecrow then smiled at Rosaria and said,

"Where were you last night?"

Rosaria's head snapped up to look at Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. They were always kind and loving to her, and Rosaria loved them dearly in return. But sometimes, they had to be authority figures, and when they gave her that 'We know you did something wrong' look, it frightened her.

"I was in bed." she lied.

Rosaria was a terrible liar, and they saw right through it.

"Rosaria," said Lion. "You weren't in your room when I went to say goodnight last night. Where'd ya go?"

"I went to see some friends."

"You could have gotten hurt!" said Tin Man. "Racing like that is dangerous!"

"I know. I'm sorry, I promise not to sneak out again."

"Good! You need to be careful Rosaria."

After breakfast, Rosaria went back to her room. She opened a box that she kept under her bed, and inside resided a picture of her mother, along with some of her parents' things.

'My mother was such an active and alive person. A disability never held her back.'

Rosaria looked down at her legs. She had been getting a little feeling in her feet, maybe she would walk someday!

'No, it's best not to get my hopes up. But...maybe...'

Rosaria used her arms to help her to the edge of the bed, and then she let her legs hang off the bed. Trying her best, Rosaria attempted to stand up, but to no avail, her legs gave out and poor little Rosaria fell to the floor. She dragged herself off of the floor and onto her flyer. She sighed.

'Oh well.' Rosaria thought. 'Better to have tried and failed.'

She went into the office where Scarecrow sat reading.

"Scarecrow?" asked Rosaria.

"Yes Rosaria?"

"May I please go outside to play?"

Scarecrow thought for a moment.

"Rosaria, I don't want you racing. I know that's what you'll do if you go out."

Rosaria looked down for a moment, and then looked up to meet Scarecrow's eyes.

"Scarecrow, my mother was the most outgoing person you knew, you say it all the time! She would not want me to spend my entire life inside just because I have a disability. I know I'm not normal, but I'm going to try to make the best of things. If I don't, I know I'll regret it."

Scarecrow smiled.

"You make a compelling case." he said. "All right. Just be sure to be back for dinner."

"Thank you!" Rosaria said happily.

She kissed Scarecrow on the cheek and quickly proceeded back to her room, zooming by Lion in the hallway.

Rosaria opened the window and flew out over the city.

Lion then walked into the office.

"Where's Rosaria going?"

"Lion," said Scarecrow. "Rosaria is a free spirit, just like Dorothy used to be. There's no holding her back. I am concerned though. She's racing again."

Lion shook his head.

"What do we do Scarecrow? What do we do? I hate having to keep punishing her!"

"With that child, there's nothing we can do. She wants it much too badly to give it up."

...The wind raced through Rosaria's long brown hair. The people didn't except the racers, who were a mostly rough bunch, with the exception of a few. Most of the people looked down on them. But Rosaria and her friends were determined to change the stereotype.

When Rosaria reached the outskirts of the Emerald City, there was nothing around but green fields. There waiting stood Rosaria's friends Darien, Jason, and Emily. All but Jason had their flyer with them, and he didn't look happy about it.

"Rosaria," Jason yelled as Rosaria came in for a landing. "My flyer is ruined thanks to you! They can't salvage any of it after that crash in the last race."

"I'll buy you a new one. Don't worry."

"What do I do for the big race tonight?"

"You'll ride with Emily."

"Why me?" Emily complained.

"Yours is the only flyer with two seats." Rosaria replied. Emily frowned.

"Come now, we have to practice!"

"Wait a second Rosaria" said Darien. "How are you going to get to the race tonight? I heard you got caught by Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion."

"I did."

"Did they notice your arm? You went down pretty hard last night." said Emily.

"You would've won too if you hadn't crashed my flyer." Jason added as he crossed his arms.

"I said I'd buy you a new one Jason, let it go! I did get our team into the tryouts, didn't I? Besides, let's just thank God it wasn't my flyer, I never would have seen the light of day again. But don't worry, I'll go home for dinner, and then I'll sneak out and meet you at the stadium tonight. I hate to do it, I did promise Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion that I wouldn't sneak out again, but this is the only way to get into the championship races. Now come on, let's practice!"

The four raced ten times and then took a break. Rosaria won every time, and when they all landed, Emily threw her helmet to the ground in frustration.

"It's not fair! I'm only losing because stupid Jason is weighing me down! I can't race with him on my butt tonight, I won't even place!"

"You'll just have to manage, Emily. The whole team has to race or we can't compete. Besides, Rosaria would have beaten you anyway. Try shortening your turns, you'll gain more speed that way." said Jason.

Jason and Emily looked over at Darien and Rosaria, who were panting hard, staring at each other.

"Good job Rosaria."

"Thank you Darien."

Darien and Rosaria had always been extremely competitive in racing, but they never once argued about it. They both had always been good sportsmen. Rosaria looked at her watch.

"I have to go to dinner you guys, I'll be back tonight."

As Rosaria flew back to the Emerald City, her friends waved.

"I hope she can get there tonight." said Darien with a sigh. "Our team doesn't stand a chance of getting into the championships without her."

When Rosaria got back to her room, Katherine was waiting at the window for her.

"You're going to be late!" she exclaimed in frustration.

Rosaria began changing into her dinner dress when Katherine grabbed her arm, emitting a gasp of surprise. Rosaria winced from the pain.

"What in God's name happened?" asked Katherine as she looked at the deep wound on Rosaria's arm.

"I fell today. Not a big deal, I'm fine."

"You didn't fall today, this is an old injury. You can't fool me! You did this racing, didn't you? I specifically told you not to do that anymore. You'll get hurt, and you'll disgrace your name in the process. Your mother and father worked hard for that name, don't you dare soil it now for a few nights of speed."

"But I love it so much! I bet if mother and father were alive today, they would encourage me instead of trying to bring me down like the rest of you seem to be obsessed with doing. The truth is, I'm really good at it, and I can win competitions. I can! We're the only children's team in the tryouts. I'm not just going to throw away all of our hard work because you don't approve. We're better than ninety percent of the adults in the tryouts."

"I don't doubt that princess, but you could hurt, and it's not worth it. You have a lot on the line, Rosaria. Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are your caretakers. They sacrifice a lot for you, and love you very much. If you lose their trust, then all is lost."

Rosaria sighed.

"This injury is nothing. I would get hurt again and again if I could only have your support on this. It means a lot to me. You don't know how many times in races I've looked out at the crowd and wished you and Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion were there. I just want somebody to cheer me on."

Rosaria looked down, tears forming in her eyes. Katherine sighed.

"Listen Rosaria, and listen carefully. We love you, and we're only thinking of you."

"But Katherine, I feel that if you were just thinking of me, that you would want me to race, because it makes me happy!"

Katherine just shook her head.

"I promise I won't say anything, but go down to dinner quickly, you can't be late."

Rosaria smiled.

"Thank you!"

After eating dinner, Lion said,

"Hey Rosaria, let's play a game of chess! I'll beat ya' this time, I know it! I know it!"

"No thank you, maybe tomorrow night. I must sleep, I'm so tired."

"Are you all right?" asked Tin Man.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine, I just need a good night's rest and I'll be as good as new. Goodnight everyone."

Rosaria kissed her friends goodnight, and then went up to her room.

Rosaria changed into her racing gear, and pulled herself onto her flyer. '

This is it!' she thought. 'My friends are really counting on me! Please God, even though I don't have my legs, grant me speed tonight.'

That's it for now, the first chapter of Act 2 is completed. What did you think? I hope you like it. E-mail me at or write a review to give me plenty of feedback. I love hearing from you. Thanks!

Tori 


	20. New Competition

There stood Darien, Emily and Jason, waiting anxiously for any sign of Rosaria, their team's leader. They were two hours early for the race, but they would have to be in order to get a good starting spot. "Where is she?" asked Jason. "Shouldn't she have been here by now?" "Hey, Rosaria has never let us down before, she wouldn't start now." said Emily. "That's right! Have a little faith." added Darien.  
  
Rosaria soared over the stadium, checking out the competition from above. They were very early, there were hardly any other racers there. They would get a good starting spot for sure. Rosaria swept down and met her friends. "I was just over the stadium." she said. "It's practically empty. Come on, let's go get our spots."   
  
The four friends got starting spots right in front, an advantage in competitions like this. People began pouring into the stadium. Venders went around and sold food and beverages. There was one group of spectators, however, that seemed different. It was obviously not people from the outskirts, definitely not a part of the racing crowd. They sat there trying not to touch anything from fear of germs and infection, a stereotypical thought.   
  
Rosaria frowned at this. "Darien," she said. "I'll be right back." Rosaria used her flyer and went up into the seats. Many people already knew her and where there to cheer Rosaria and her team on. People stopped her several times on her way to her desired destination to wish her and her team luck, but when she finally reached the three men, they gasped.   
  
"Hello strangers!" she said kindly. "I'm Rosaria, leader of my team." After clearing his throat, one of the men nervously said, "And what do you call your team?" "My team is called the Thunderboltz. A lot of people are betting on us tonight, I suggest you do the same. However, I don't believe I've ever seen you here before. You must be new members of our glorious audience of fans! What are you doing here?"   
  
"Well," said one of the men, looking around as if to see if anyone was watching. "We got a tip yesterday from an anonymous caller. We're reporters for the Ozian Gazette. We were told that all of these races are for show, you know, all the racers are actors, and that a young princess is going to pretend to crash and die as a gimmick to get more people to come watch the races! Looking around, it seems as if they get enough people. But anyway we couldn't miss that." Rosaria's eyes widened.   
  
"Sir, I assure you that every one of these races are real, and if a princess dies tonight, it is simply sabotage. Whoever made that call will try to kill the princess you speak of." "Can we quote you on that?" Rosaria nodded slowly, thinking about what she had said. 'Someone trying to kill me?' she thought. 'It can't be!'   
  
"And what name should we put with this quote, miss?" Rosaria looked at the reporters again. "You tell your readers, that princess Rosaria Castine Callo of the Rose Kingdom spoke those words to you.....just before she and her team won this race." With open mouths and gasps, the reporters feverishly wrote down what Rosaria said, and she whisked over the crowd. When she was back with her friends, she told them what happened.   
  
"Oh my God! Rosaria, what do we do?" asked Emily. "I'll be fine, you just race to win. Don't even think about it." The racers then had an hour to go eat before the race began. Darien picked Rosaria up off of her flyer and carried her to their table. They ate and talked strategy, and in the last moments, Rosaria gave her friends words of confidence to guide them through the race.  
  
"No matter what, be swift. No one will be able to stand in your way if you truly want to win. If you don't make first place, don't worry about it! Just make sure that all three of you get into the top ten. We can win this. Now let's go!" After a group hug, Darien once again lifted Rosaria and carried her to her flyer. After putting Rosaria in her seat, Darien, Emily, and Jason got on their flyers as well.   
  
Rosaria said a prayer to herself and then for but a moment, listened to her own heart beating. The referee walked to the booth, and held up a gun. He seemed to be moving so slowly, when in reality he was not. The sound of the gun going off, though expected, shocked Rosaria in a way. She went fast, immediately zooming into first place, Darien not far behind her steadily holding the third spot.  
  
Rosaria could feel the sweat begin to drop down her face slowly. She was alert, watching for anyone who would sabotage her, when suddenly she saw in her mirror Jason and Emily get knocked off their flyer by another rider. This one also obviously a woman, kicked them off. The flyer automatically stopped when they fell off their seats. Emily let out a scream as her flesh met the hard ground. Jason tried to land on his feet, but they had been going too fast, and he fell on his back.   
  
This racer was knocking everyone out, but Rosaria was smart enough to realize what was going on. 'She's making it look like it's all for the win, but I know what she's up to.' Rosaria thought to herself. The mystery rider made it to where Darien was, she tried to kick him, but with one arm, he grabbed her foot, and knocked her down. The woman's flyer, being a cheap model, did not stop itself, and went flying out of control in Rosaria's direction.   
  
Rosaria closed her eyes, and zoomed up, avoiding the impact of the flyer. She flipped in the air and got immediately back into position to take the victory! The crowd cheered for them so loudly, it was deafening. Darien came in second, and Emily and Jason were just able to get back on the flyer and take ninth place. But it didn't matter, by the next race, Jason would have a flyer again, and they made it to the championships, which was the important part.  
  
After the race, Darien pulled Rosaria aside. "That was the one who was trying to sabotage you, wasn't it?" Rosaria nodded silently. "I believe so." she said. "I did what I could, but by the time the race was over, she was gone. She got away." "It's all right. Think of it no longer. Everybody's ok, which is what is important." Darien smiled and hugged his best friend tightly. "Thank God for you!" he said.  
  
Rosaria went back to the Emerald Palace, the thoughts of her victory in her mind as she flew, unable to escape it. When safely in her bed once more, Rosaria smiled. "I did it!" she said to herself. "The championship game is as good as ours." After that final whisper of confidence, Rosaria slipped into a peaceful slumber.   
  
That's it! Chapter 2 of Act 1. How do you like it thus far? Good? Bad? I need to know people! E-mail me at NeoTori7688@aol.com or give me a review, just don't forget to tell me what you think. Keep reading, more is coming!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	21. We Meet Again

Rosaria awakened at nine o' clock on that beautiful Saturday morning. When she awakened and sat up in her bed, she gasped at the sight of a hooded figure standing before her.   
  
"Princess Rosaria, we meet again." said the figure, a woman of about thirty years of age. "What do you want? Who are you?" asked Rosaria, eyes wide. The figure stood straight as a board, not once flinching. "I just had to see your face again princess. I suppose you could call me a fan, for my one obsession, my one passion over the last nine years has been to find you."   
  
"Why would you want to find me?" "I have a lesson to teach you, little princess. Just like I did.......your parents." Those words echoed in time for but a moment. The hooded figure then threw a newspaper on Rosaria's lap and disappeared.   
  
.....Rosaria sat up in bed with a gasp, breath eluding her, cold beads of sweat falling slowly down her delicate, feminine face. The morning sun shined brightly through her window, greeting her kindly, refreshing her soul after that bone-chilling nightmare.   
  
It was nine thirty in the morning, and it had all been a dream. Rosaria silently thanked God for that. After getting herself ready for breakfast, Rosaria remembered her victory, how sweet it tasted! She sighed. "What a wonderful night it was." she said quietly to herself.   
  
Katherine slowly and almost reverently walked into Rosaria's room an hour later, not even bothering to knock on the door. She walked to where Rosaria sat at her desk. "Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion are waiting for you down in the conference room Rosaria." Rosaria looked at Katherine with a bit of doubt reflecting in her eyes.   
  
"What's wrong?" "You princess Rosaria, are in big trouble!"  
  
Rosaria went down to the conference room, her head spinning. 'How could I be so stupid?' she thought. 'Where was my head? I should never have talked to those reporters last night at the race!' When Rosaria entered the conference room, she saw expressions on Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion's faces that screamed at her to turn around and leave the room.   
  
They said nothing at first, simply throwing a newspaper into Rosaria's lap. Memories of her nightmare flashed in her mind, but she quickly refocused her train of thought. She looked down, and there she was, on the front page with Darien, Emily, and Jason, whose team finished first in the tryouts. The article and picture took up almost the whole front page of the Ozian Gazette. Tears formed in her eyes, and she did not look up at her guardians at all, she stared at the floor, hoping that in this moment, she would find a way to disappear.  
  
Lion looked upon Rosaria with sympathy, but he was the only one. Tin Man and Scarecrow stood there with a mix of anger and disappointment in their girl, but no sympathy resided in their eyes, for they did not see the remorse in hers. Lion was the first to speak. "Go easy on her, I know Rosaria's sorry for what she's done. Aren't ya' Rosaria?" Scarecrow and Tin Man looked at each other and nodded. "We're listening Rosaria."   
  
"I'm sorry that my actions displease you, however, I cannot say that I am sorry for what I have done, for then I would be lying to you, which I refuse to do now." "You are not allowed to race Rosaria! It's dangerous, and it shames your name. Also, have you not thought about your friends? How would you feel if one of them got hurt or in trouble with their folks?"  
  
"I don't worry about them getting hurt, they've been racing all their lives, as have I! Besides, their fathers are all racers, they grew up in that atmosphere, their families care not that they race, their families encourage it. We're the team that's going to change people's minds about racers and the game in general!" Rosaria not looked up to meet her family's eyes. "Racing is something that I love to do! It gives me a little escape from this sheltered life that I am trapped in. I know it is dangerous, but I would never stop for anything."   
  
"You shame your mother." said Scarecrow looking away, not believing the words he was speaking to his girl. 'Rosaria and I both know that is not true! She doesn't shame her parents at all!' The tears in Rosaria's eyes became too painful to bear, and so they slipped slowly down her cheeks. "Why?" she asked, as clear as day, and with an unwavering confidence that Dorothy had possessed.   
  
"If I shame her and my father as you say, then why do you look away from me? Look into my eyes and say again what you've just said. But only say it if you truly mean it!" Scarecrow looked into her eyes and said, "I cannot." Rosaria nodded.   
  
"Don't you think my mother's family would have disapproved of her actions if they had known that she was fighting an evil witch during her spare time? Don't you think they would have tried to stop her? Just because it was dangerous didn't mean she stopped. Where would we all be if she had given in to her family's criticism? I assure you, it wouldn't be here! I know you love me, and that is why you try to stop me from racing, but it's in my blood. It will never leave, and I shall never give up until the day I die! Just as my mother did."  
  
They stood silent for a moment, touched by Rosaria's little speech. Every word she spoke was absolutely true! They couldn't argue any of the points that she'd made. "Rosaria," said Scarecrow. "You may race," Scarecrow said, Tin Man and Lion nodding. "But only race if you truly love it!" Rosaria smiled. "I do!"   
  
Rosaria went to the gardens of the Rose Kingdom. There resided two tomb stones to commemorate Dorothy and David. Their ashes had been spread in those same gardens years before. Little Rosaria pulled herself off of her flyer to sit before the two stones. She tried to visit this place at least once a month, it was her favorite spot in the entire world.  
  
Rosaria stared at the pictures of Dorothy and David Callo, the people who brought her into this harsh prison that others called a life. Though Rosaria was happy in some ways, in others, no matter what she did to resolve the unresolved feeling in the pits of her soul, there was always a piece of the puzzle missing. Of course, partially because her parents had the nerve to die on her, but also because she could not walk, other children ran and played while she was forced forever to sit and watch, envying what they everyday took for granted. However, Rosaria could always do something that the other children envied: Rosaria could fly!  
  
"Mother?" she said quietly. "Father? I know you can hear me! I know you are there, and I know there is something you're not telling me, for Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are keeping a secret from me. I want to know what it is. Please, give me a sign, tell me what it is that they hide from me!" Rosaria could feel her tears slipping down her cheeks like waterfalls. She suddenly felt a warm touch on her shoulder.   
  
"Rosaria?" a sweet voice called to her. Rosaria turned around to see a smiling face, and then seeing the picture on the stone, saw clearly who it was. In a shaky and frightened tone, Rosaria speaks, "Mother?"   
  
Dorothy sat next to her daughter. "Hello Rosaria." Dorothy kissed Rosaria's cheek. "I've missed you so, my darling!" Rosaria's eyes widened at the realness of what she was seeing. Ghosts where always, in fairytales, spoken about as being transparent, frightening creatures that wanted to scare you. Her mother sat there as if nothing was unusual about it at all, as if she had never died, just gone away for a while. Rosaria looked down at her cross.  
  
"Why is my necklace glowing?" "I'm using the power of the Rose to come to you!" Rosaria cocked an eyebrow and Dorothy smiled. "This will take a while to explain." she said gently, stroking her daughter's face. Rosaria touched Dorothy's hand, but felt nothing but warmth, no flesh, only the love that her mother held. Rosaria closed her eyes. "Is it possible?" she asked quietly. "Is it possible that the deepest desire of my heart has finally been fulfilled even though everyone told me it would never be so?"   
  
"It has, but all I ask is that you never speak of this to anyone, for no one would believe you." Rosaria nodded slowly. "I understand mother."   
  
Dorothy smiled. "Then I can tell you everything. I know it is time." Dorothy took her sweet time explaining to Rosaria all that had happened during her life, from Kansas to her untimely death, and everything in-between. All of this was explained in such a manner that no one would have guessed that Dorothy was not as alive as the girl sitting next to her. She explained to her daughter the power that her necklace possessed, and how to use it. Rosaria, under the guidance of her mother, learned how to use the power that her necklace held.  
  
After that, Dorothy said, "I want to know all that is happening in your life, the good, the bad, I want to know everything! So tell me, now that I've told you, tell me everything about your life." Rosaria looked at her mother with confusion in her eyes. "Aren't you watching me? Don't you see me everyday?" "Well, yes. But I want to hear it from you." Rosaria smiled the widest smile imaginable and began her story.  
  
Rosaria told her mother all about racing and how much it meant to her. Dorothy nodded and smiled, remaining silent through all of Rosaria's tales. "Well my dear, if it is truly something you love, then go right on racing! You'll soon realize that it is only what you love that gets you through the harshness of reality." Rosaria thought for a moment, and then said, "How do I know that I am not simply imagining all of this?" Dorothy chuckled. "I was waiting for you to ask that question."  
  
"This could all be a figment of my imagination, thirsting to have some maternal affection. How can I know this is real? What proof do I have that you're really here?" Dorothy grinned. "I have only one way to prove all of this is true, dear daughter of mine!"   
  
That's it for now. I would like to respond to an e-mail I received asking me why I would kill Dorothy. Well, the answer to that is simple: I am merely moving away from the original story. Dorothy is that character you can count on, the predictable one, the secure one that would never in a million years be killed off, and I've just changed that rule. Keep reading! More is coming! ^_~  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	22. All Is Well

After several hours of practice and help from her mother, Rosaria used her necklace to take her to Kansas. She looked around at her surroundings, nothing was really different from Oz that she could see. Rosaria could see three older men entering a little farm house, no doubt after a hard day of working, and three boys Rosaria's age (new farm hands that Hunk, Hickory and Zeke had taken in) were working in the fields. They stopped to look up at the girl in front of them. She was hovering off the ground about two feet. They were terrified as she moved towards them.  
  
"Excuse me gentlemen." she said, politely extending her hand to introduce herself to the young boys. "I am princess Rosaria Casting Callo of the Rose Kingdom. I'm looking for some people and was wondering if you could assist me." One of the boys looked at her curiously while the other two ran off screaming. "Oh my God!" he finally said. "You're that girl...our uncles have a picture of you over the fireplace! You're...oh, what was the name? Dorothy! That's it! Dorothy! They talk about you all the time."   
  
Rosaria knew what he meant, but thought it best not to speak. Rosaria simply followed the boy silently to the farm house, a little shiver of fear traveling slowly up her spine. The boy asked her to wait outside, and when he returned, a man of about fifty years of age followed behind. "Look!" said the boy. "It's Dorothy, the little girl you always speak of!" "Jeremy," said the man kneeling down. "Dorothy is dead." "No uncle Hunk, look!" Hunk looked over to see Rosaria, and his eyes widened. She was the picture of her mother.  
  
Though her eyes were exactly like her father's, rich and brown, Rosaria was the image of her mother in every other way. Her hair, her thin figure, her beautiful and flawless skin....memories seeped back into the mind of Hunk. Hunk stood up again just as Hickory and Zeke walked out and also stopped dead in their tracks. "To correct the young man," said Rosaria sweetly after what seemed like days of awkward silence. "I am Dorothy's daughter Rosaria."  
  
The three men immediately ran to her and embraced the young girl. She smiled. "You must be the ones I'm looking for. I was told to look for the three men who helped to raise my mother." "That's us!" said Zeke, tears clearly in each of their eyes. "The last time we saw you Rosaria, you were just a baby! You're mother took you here to visit us just before she died." said Hickory.   
  
Rosaria gave a half smile and said, "I know. I was told all about it from my guardians, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. Of course, there is no need for me to explain anything to you, for you met them at my mother's wedding if I am not mistaken." "That's right Rosaria." said Zeke smiling widely. "You turned out beautifully. We're so glad you could come."  
  
"I have something to ask you." said Rosaria. "My mother wrote for me a letter that was given to you by Glinda after my mother's untimely death. I was told that it is time I read it. I came here to see you, and to retrieve the words that my mother left behind for me." The three boys, whose names were Jeremy, Anthony, and Steven, exchanged curious looks, not knowing what this girl meant, but it was obvious that their guardians knew exactly what she was talking about.   
  
"Let's all go inside." said Hunk, his two companions and Rosaria entered the house while Hunk stopped the three boys and said, "Now listen boys, you three have to stay out of the house for a while so we can take care of a few things with Rosaria." "Who is she?" asked Steven. "She's Dorothy's daughter. I told you about Dorothy, remember?" "We remember." said Anthony. "Now, do you promise to do what I say?" The three boys nodded and Hunk went back into the farm house, shutting the door behind him. Immediately after their guardian's departure, Anthony and Steven rushed to the door, and listened the best they could.  
  
Jeremy, however, decided instead to look through the window. Looking momentarily at the picture of Dorothy and then at Rosaria, Jeremy realized how beautiful she was. 'Wow!' he thought. 'Rosaria is pretty!'  
  
Hickory went into a box and pulled out an envelope, obviously old. "Here is the letter." he said. Rosaria looked at it for a moment and said, "I think I'd better read this alone later when I get home." They nodded in understanding. Hunk, Hickory, Zeke, and Rosaria spent hours talking about things. They talked about Dorothy's childhood, and how everything came to be the way it was. Of course, it made much more sense when Dorothy came to Rosaria and explained it herself, but they did a fine job anyway. One thing they didn't talk about, however, was David, Rosaria's father, and she longed to know more about him, too.   
  
"Now tell me all about my father!" Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke looked at each other, and then back at the girl sitting before them. "Well Rosaria, the truth be told, we really didn't know you're father that well, or for any long periods of time for that matter. We're the wrong people to ask about him." Rosaria looked away from them. 'Another question to ask mother should she ever come to visit me again.'   
  
After many happy hours of talking, Rosaria realized it was time to go home. As she was about to leave, Jeremy ran to her. "Rosaria?" he said. "I hope you come to visit again soon!" Rosaria smiled. "Fear not, you haven't seen the last of me." And with the red, setting sun behind her, Rosaria went back to Oz.  
  
After greeting her guardians and excusing herself from the dinner table with the excuse that she was extremely tired, Rosaria went fast up the grand staircase in the Emerald Palace and up to her room. When she got there, Rosaria opened the letter and read in anticipation. It said:  
  
My Darling Rosaria,  
  
You know very well why I cannot give you these words in person my beautiful daughter. I can speak no words to express how deeply your father and I love you, so I leave you with only these words to guide you through life. Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you. Whatever we were to each other, that we still are...life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of mind simply because I am out of sight? When you read this line, remember not the hand that wrote it, remember only the verse, the poet's cry, the one without tears, for I've given this its strength and it has become my only strength. Comforting home, mother's lap, chance for immortality, where being wanted became a thrill that you and I never went without. The sweet pen writing down my life. I am waiting for you, somewhere very near. Just around the corner. All is well!   
  
Love Always,  
Your Mother  
  
Rosaria freely let the tears fall, not once trying to stop them, knowing very well that she was powerless against their might. Now having these words made her feel more powerful, and as she finished the last line of the letter from her mother, Rosaria's eyes began to glow a golden color, and a heart appeared on her forehead.   
  
........"It's started!" she said........  
  
That's the next chapter. HOORAAAAAY! ^_^ Ok, well, keep reading. *Insert thank yous and standard disclaimers here.* ^_~  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	23. Blessed One

A week passed by, Rosaria had remained locked up in her room, refusing to come out. No matter what they said to her from the other side of the door, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and even Rosaria's friends could not persuade her to come out. On the first day of the second week of her self-inflicted loneliness, however, Rosaria stopped answering her friends completely, and this began to worry them!   
  
After two days of no answers, Darien had had enough. 'I will get through to her.' he thought. 'I refuse to let her wither away like this.' Darien went to the Emerald Palace. With the permission of his dear friend's guardians, Darien knocked on the door of her bedroom. "Rosaria?" No answer was heard. He began to knock with more desperation, knowing that something was wrong. "Rosaria, answer me this instant, or I'll break the door down! I'm not kidding!"   
  
Though only ten years old, because of his training as a racer, Darien was extremely strong, and so he rammed his shoulder against the door again and again, knowing that if he only could get to the other side of that stubborn piece of wood, he could help his best friend. The door finally gave in and Darien fell hard to the floor with it.   
  
His head began to spin as he saw Rosaria on the floor, not moving and only small breaths causing the slight rise and fall of her chest. Darien picked her up off of the floor just as Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion came running into the room after hearing the noise of the door being knocked down. "We must get Rosaria to a hospital now!" yelled Darien.  
  
.....Her eyes fluttered open to reveal a hospital room, and then she remembered what had happened. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed aloud.  
  
....Darien walked into the room, and the rose he held in his hand as a get well gift for Rosaria, fell to the floor at the sight of her. There Rosaria was, standing of her own accord, tears falling down her cheeks. "I can walk Darien! I can walk!" He smiled as the tears pricked his eyes, falling down his cheeks, and he ran to take Rosaria into his embrace, lifting her in the air.  
  
His best friend could walk, a miracle! Rosaria had been healed! Impossible as it was, Rosaria Castine Callo, princess of the Rose Kingdom, who had lost the use of her legs as an infant on the day her parents fell to the grim reaper's evil tricks, was standing, taking steps! Rosaria felt so alive, it was as if she had been walking all along.   
  
Now understanding the power of the Rose gave Rosaria a wonderful sensation. She felt as if she now had a deeper bond with her parents and her past.   
  
After weeks of rigorous practicing and physical therapy, doctors were still stumped. It was as if those horrible events that befell her had never grazed the surface of her being. Rosaria read her mother's letter over and over again, not allowing anyone to see it. With the first game of the championships ahead, Rosaria knew she should be practicing, but felt no motivation at the moment, there were still so many questions, so many things left unsaid.  
  
Rosaria walked out to the place of her parents' eternal rest, praying for nothing more than answers to her questions. "Mother?" she said. "Ignore me not. I need so desperately to have a word with you." Rosaria turned her head to see her mother sitting there casually, sitting indian style on the grass in front of her own tombstone.  
  
Dorothy stroked her daughter's face gently and said, "What's the matter Rosaria? You can walk again! The second thing that you always wanted next to seeing your father and I, your dreams are coming true one at a time. What more could one desire?" "I want to see father." said Rosaria. Dorothy looked at the ground, and then lifted her face gracefully to meet the eyes of her beloved child.  
  
"Rosaria, remember how I told you that I come to you through the power of the Rose?" "Yes mother, I remember." "Well, your father did not possess that power, and I've not enough of it to bring him. However, I can answer any questions that you ask me." Dorothy smiled as Rosaria sighed. "That would be nice." Rosaria said. "For I've many questions to ask." Dorothy giggled. "Then I suppose I have many to answer!" Dead mother and living daughter laughed together.  
  
"What do you want to know little one?" "Everything. Start from the beginning, and tell me how you met." "You're father and I met through your Auntie Alyssa, who was my best friend at school. Dave and I, that is your father's name as you well know, we spent the greater part of our adolescence together, never once did we quarrel. It was meant to be. Written in the stars, as is all of this that is happening now."  
  
"I wish so much that I could meet him." Dorothy looked away. "I know, but be strong, for he watches you every day, as do I. We love you so much Rosaria, and we are proud of you. Now, I think it's time you practiced your racing, for if I am not mistaken, the first race of the championship races is tomorrow evening. You can be sure I'll be cheering for you!" Dorothy kissed Rosaria as a tear fell down the young girl's cheek. "Good luck Rosaria." Dorothy vanished.  
  
....Rosaria flew above Oz, daydreaming about things, nothing in particular really, just how wonderful life could be. She tilted her head back, outstretching her arms, taking in the wind and the smell of the spring air.   
  
'Mother is right!' Rosaria thought. 'I shouldn't be so depressed, my parents gave me so much. I will never take them for granted again.'  
  
How do you like THAT? Huh? HUH? ._. Um....ya....anyway, I hope you're enjoying. Sorry it took so long, but I've been busy. *mumbles under breath curses at school*   
  
~*Tori*~ 


	24. The Autumn Leaves

.......She begged his forgiveness, but he had not the understanding or patience for her. Though she could not see his face in the darkness of the shadows, she knew she cared for him deeply. She could feel the passion radiating from every pore in her body, and when he suddenly disappeared, Rosaria's heart shattered into a million pieces.......  
  
She woke with a shiver at the overwhelming feeling of loss. Looking at the clock, Rosaria saw that it was seven o' clock. After getting up and dressing herself and she packed her racing clothes in a duffle bag. Rosaria then rushed down the grand staircase in the Emerald Palace, placing her bag up against the wall outside of the dining hall. Kissing each of her guardians on the cheek before sitting down in her chair, Rosaria had a huge smile on her face. The young princess had just turned ten years old a few days prior, and the summer was slowly approaching, along with the championship races, which began in exactly twelve hours.   
  
Rosaria's aunt Alyssa was there, and she gave her status report of the Rose Kingdom to the future queen. As Rosaria took the first bites of her sizzling scrambled eggs, Scarecrow said, "Do you have any plans for the day Rosaria?"   
  
Rosaria gently put her fork down on her plate and said, "Well, I was going to go to the outskirts of the city to practice my racing in preparation for the first race of the championships tonight." "And what about tomorrow? We need to know what you're doing. We won't see you until the second race tomorrow night, because we have that meeting in Gillikin." "Tomorrow I thought, after practicing of course, that I might.....take a trip to Kansas before the race." Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion all looked up from their breakfasts with looks of surprise on their faces. "Why? asked Lion.   
  
Rosaria stuttered at first, but then said, "I made quite a few friends upon my last visit. I just thought I should use some of my spare to be kind and say hello." Alyssa cocked an eyebrow as a grin appeared on her face. "All right Rosaria, what's his name?" Rosaria nearly spit out her food. "I beg your pardon?" she said, politely dabbing her lips with her napkin. Alyssa knew Rosaria was not comfortable talking about it at the table, and so said, "Excuse us for a moment. Rosaria and I need to talk."   
  
Alyssa and Rosaria walked silently through the gardens of the Emerald City, taking in the delicious scents of the flowers surrounding them. After walking through every inch of the garden in complete silence, Alyssa brought Rosaria to sit with her on a bench she saw nearby. Alyssa and her niece sat for a few moments simply listening to the splendor of nature all around them, but soon after, Alyssa began the conversation.   
  
"I believe you grew!" Alyssa said. "An inch auntie Alyssa, but I do not believe that's why you pulled me aside to talk." "No, it surely is not. Rosaria darling, tell me, what is his name?" Rosaria smiled. "In Kansas, while I was visiting my mother's family, I met a boy named Jeremy." "I knew it! I knew you liked someone, now, is he a nice boy?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet, which is why I wanted to get to know him better and visit him again." "That sounds like a good idea Rosaria, I hope you do visit him again. After all, love can be anywhere at any time, and you will never be able to see it coming. That's the beauty of it." Ten more minutes were spent in silence in the garden.  
  
"Well," Alyssa said. "I think it's time you practiced, don't you?" "Yes auntie Alyssa, thank you so much for talking to me. You will be at the race tonight, won't you?" "Of course Rosaria! As will all the rest of the girls. I'll see you later darling." Alyssa kissed her niece on the forehead and walked away as Rosaria dashed back to the Emerald Palace to retrieve her things.  
  
Rosaria quickly changing into the clothes she'd brought with her to the outskirts, Rosaria was ready to race for practice. First, it was Emily against Jason, who now had a new flyer. They both tried their hardest, and it came to a photo finish! After reviewing the photograph that Darien had taken, it turned out that Emily had won by an inch or two at the most. The two friends shook hands, and then stood to the side as Rosaria and Darien prepared to race.  
  
They both got off to a great start, but just as they came into the fifth lap around the makeshift track, Darien was slowed down when a rock flew up and hit the visor on his helmet and Rosaria used that to her advantage. She hit the gas, standing up on her footrests, something she had never been able to do until this day, and she found that she gained an immense amount of speed. Emily and Jason stood watching, timing their friends, their mouths hanging open in shock at how fast Rosaria was flying. A normal rider would not have been able to the flyer steady in such a position, but Rosaria's body deceived her not, she depended completely on her instincts, and nothing could throw her off of the path to victory.  
  
Rosaria won the race, leaving Darien a whole three minutes behind her. When they shook hands, Darien did not let go of her, but he pulled her close to him so that he could hug her. "You raced amazingly! Congratulations Rosaria, you have a natural gift." Darien said. When they seperated, she thanked Darien for his kind words. Jason's mouth was still hanging open in shock at Rosaria's speed.  
  
"Rosaria, do you realize how fast you just went?" he said. "That must have been at least 130 mph. Did you happen to look at your speedometer?" "Yes, it was actually 210 mph. Amazing isn't it? All I had to do was lean forward a little bit and all that speed came out of it." "How much of a rush was it?" asked Emily with a large smile residing on her face. "It was amazing!" Rosaria replied. Emily looked over at the race track they'd made, and said, "I'm going to try it." "Be careful Emily." said Darien.  
  
Emily got to the fastest speed possible sitting down, and then attempted to stand, but the brute force of the wind forced her down on the brake, and the flyer came to a screeching halt, it's rider flying off of it the moment it stopped. Emily sat up as her friends ran to her side. "Well," she said. "That hurt!"   
  
Rosaria giggled, and then offered her hand to help Emily stand. They practiced until time ran out, and all four of them went to the stadium at five o' clock so that they could get good starting spots. Rosaria and Emily both got spots in the front row center, while Darien and Jason got spots in the third row. The championship races were a little bit different then the normal ones.   
  
There are three competitions in the entire game, each one a little harder than the first. The top one-hundred teams of the season start off in the first set of races. Each set contains three races. After the first race, the top 60 teams (each team consisting of four people) that finish in that race go on to the second. In the second race, the top 50 teams continue on to the third race, where only the top 30 teams continue on to the second set, which takes place the following week.   
  
The second set is made more difficult with some added obstacles such as ducks and jumps so that you must be completely aware of your surroundings to avoid crashing. After the first race of the second set is complete, the top 20 teams continue to the second race, then the top 10 continue to the third, and then the top 5 teams continue to the last set of the championship races.   
  
In the last set, the teams are forced to instead of racing a track, race a complete obstacle course made in a caged atmosphere so that no one can leave the obstacle course to go around and cheat. The obstacle course changes with each race. The first race leaves the top 4 teams to continue on to the second race, and then the top 3 teams go to the final, most complicated and difficult race of the game. The team that wins this race is the official Ozian Championship Racing Team.   
  
Along with receiving a trophy and the official title, the winning team also receives a prize of 100 Ozian shernz (Ozian currency) which is the equivalent of one million dollars in parallel currency. Rosaria, who had everything and needed nothing more, promised herself and her teammates that if they should win this prize, Emily, Darien, and Jason would get their share of the money to do what they pleased with it, but Rosaria's share would go to the Ozian people.  
  
Rosaria put her flyer into place, the race was to start in one hour, and she felt ready. Her blood boiled and raced within her. The first race of the set would be simple. It wouldn't be until the third race that the competition would become more difficult because no matter what, in order to continue, three out of the four members of her team had to be in the top 30 teams. The strongest 30 teams of the game would be your competition for the second set, and it was sure to be fierce, especially since Rosaria's team was the youngest competing, the other teams were probably not going to let them win without a fight.  
  
None of the other teams, with the exception of a few, were really anything Rosaria, Darien, Emily, and Jason would have to worry about. However, there was a new team that they were slightly concerned about. This team called themselves The Autumn Leaves, and they never showed their faces, their faces were always covered. Also, they were new to the game, and to get into the top 100 teams in your first season was unheard of.   
  
So, Rosaria determined this team had done one of two things: either they raced excellently and just made it on their own, or had paid one of the judges a generous sum. Rosaria was not clear which one it was, because it very well could be either one and it was not her place to judge anyone. The leader of the team was the only one that looked even slightly different from the others, who were all the same height and from what they showed of their faces, which was only their eyes, were all the same.  
  
The leader of The Autumn leaves positioned her flyer right next to Rosaria's. The young girl was so curious about this mysterious woman, and decided to confront her. Rosaria outstretched her hand towards her, "Hello!" she said. "I'm Rosaria. I'm the leader of my team as well. What's your name?" Rosaria saw the woman squint her eyes, and then she pulled off her helmet to reveal that she was smiling.  
  
At the sight of the woman's face, a shiver coursed through Rosaria's body. The woman took her hand and said, "I'm Autumn." "How clever!" Rosaria said. "The Autumn Leaves is a wonderful name for your team." "What's the name of your team Rosaria?" Autumn asked kindly. "My team is called the Thunderboltz." Autumn nodded with a smile.   
  
Suddenly, they heard a shout from the audience calling out to Rosaria. She and Autumn looked up at the stands to see Alyssa, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion taking their seats and waving at her. Rosaria waved back, but Autumn looked worried. "Who are they?" she asked with a frantic tone. "That's my auntie Alyssa, and that's..." but before Rosaria could even finish, Autumn quickly put her helmet back on and went over to her flyer.   
  
Rosaria shrugged it off and smiled as her aunts Toni, Amber, Ariel, Kristen, Sarah, Alisha, Alexandria, and of course Alyssa filed into their seats. After an hour of waiting, Rosaria and her teammates, as well as the other competitors all boarded their flyers. A man walked onto a platform. Rosaria's breath quickened as her heart began to pound from within her body. The man raised a gun into the air.  
  
The gun fired........  
  
SORRY this took so long. School sucks. HAPPY EASTER! I know....these little notes are pretty much pointless, but they're fun. E-mails and reviews are appreciated. ^_~ Thanks!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	25. Change of Plans

The bang of the gun echoed in Rosaria's head, which only helped her increase her speed. Coming into the first turn, she stayed seated and still, trying to clear her mind of all fears and doubts. Rosaria struggled to stay in first place, Autumn coming up right behind her. Darien held steady in fifth, Emily and Jason stayed together in sixth.   
  
They tried to stay calm, but the adrenaline made them go faster, their minds buzzing with excitement and passion. This was what they had worked for, what they had dreamed of. The crowd cheered, but Rosaria attempted to ignore their shouts, this race was what she needed to be focused on.   
  
After nine laps, there was but one left. Autumn and Rosaria were neck and neck, fighting for the top spot which would give a great advantage for the second race. Rosaria smiled as she heard Lion cheering louder than the rest of the crowd. Just as Autumn began to pull into first place, the crowd gasped as Rosaria stood up on her footrests as she'd practiced, and went beyond Autumn faster than the other racers had ever seen before.   
  
Rosaria crossed the finish line first with ease, and the rest followed a whole minute and a half behind her. Darien came in third place, Jason came in fifth and Emily in seventh place. And so, the top 60 teams were lined up for the crowd, and the bottom 40 were sent away from the competition. The people cheered, and Rosaria smiled as she looked at the crowd, her family finally among them. A tear slipped from her eye, another one of her greatest dreams had been accomplished.  
  
The top 60 teams were given a break between the first and second race of the first set. They had only an hour to rest up. Rosaria was getting herself a drink, which gently coursed down her throat and cooled her heated nerves. She looked up, and saw a shadow creeping up from behind her. As she was about to turn around, a sudden pain washed over Rosaria, overwhelming her senses. A familiar voice whispered into her ear very suddenly, not with words, but images. It spoke of flames and bright lights.  
  
Though it did not use a written or even spoken language, the voice was clear in relaying its message saying, "In my dreams, we were together protected by the stars. Oz must die in your hands." Rosaria let out a scream and Darien grabbed her arms to support her.   
  
"Rosaria, are you ok? What's wrong?" Darien blinked at the look on her face and said, "What did you see?" A single tear made its way silently down Rosaria's cheek as she spoke, "I saw nothing. But I heard......" Darien's mouth fell open. "Rosaria!" he whispered as a golden heart appeared on her forehead and the cross around her neck began to glow.   
  
The heart changed to a rose, and the power of the Rose took control of Rosaria's young, fragile body, causing golden wings to spread from her back and her eyes to glow. The wings wrapped themselves around her, and when they spread again, she stood there in a flowing white gown of pure silk that glowed with golden mist. Visions of the past, Dorothy, and why it all happened.....it all made sense. Everything had happened for this reason alone. Nothing else was meant to be. Rosaria had been enlightened.  
  
Screams were suddenly heard throughout the crowd of the massive stadium. "The Wicked Witch of Oz!" some cried as they stood still. Others tried to run, but Autumn had made sure that her followers had closed the people in. Every exit was blocked. Those that tried to climb down the steep walls either fell, or had their hearts pierced by the tips of arrows to meet their tragic ends.   
  
Dark, hooded figures stood at the main doors with bows and arrows, all that approached them were killed on the spot. A loud voice reigned over the suddenly hushed crowd. "Rosaria Castine Callo!" the voice called. Rosaria looked up to see Autumn there. She finally made the connection. "Oh my God. You're the Wicked Witch of Oz! The one who killed my mother and father!" Rosaria's face became flushed with anger. The young girl saw her aunt Hope charge at Autumn and then stop before her once beloved friend.  
  
"Autumn, we meet again as enemies." Hope said in a clear voice. The other girls watched in awe, wishing that their eyes were deceiving them. "Hope, I was praying we'd meet in friendship." Hope cocked an eyebrow in disgust. "I am no longer your friend, and I believe that prayers are useless to you now. I'm afraid our friendship died long ago Autumn, perhaps you remember trying to convince Dorothy of all people to hang me, claiming I killed your parents. Oh, and in case you forgot, you murdered our best friends!" Hope gasped for air after her tirade.   
  
"Oh yes, that." Autumn said carelessly, causing anger to build within Hope's body, as well as Alyssa's, who watched powerlessly as her friends exchanged words, all the while memories of the sight of her deceived brother's corpse lying with that of his wife's flashing through her head. "Hope, I had a long time to think about all that has happened. All I can say is, I don't regret what I've done, for though I miss Dorothy, who was like a sister, she was getting in my way. Oz will now be mine!"   
  
Alyssa stood with Toni and Amber supporting her. "How can you so soon forget all that Dorothy and David did for you? You ARE an evil witch Autumn, I know you not anymore. Dorothy shined in a world full of ugliness. She mattered when everything was meaningless. She tried to get away sometimes, but to no avail. Fragile, she didn't see her own beauty. But my bother saw it, we saw it, YOU saw it too Autumn. What happened? How can you forget?" Alyssa screamed as she fell apart into tears.  
  
"I remember quite well Alyssa." said Autumn as she closed her eyes. "On his weak body, lays her dying hand, they traveled silently through those meadows of Heaven, where we ran as children. Living, we never once actually entered the doors. But then she entered the doors at my hands, left me living with nothing but tears and stains of her blood seeping into my skin. Like a thief in the night, the wind blowed so light, carrying their souls away, it warred with my tears, that dried years ago. I did regret it at first, but then my vision cleared, and I saw the ultimate treasure, complete control of Oz! And I swear to you that I shall have it."   
  
"Dorothy and Dave are gone now Autumn," said Kristen. "They are dead, so why can't you just stop this path of destruction? Two lives are quite enough!" "Yes, she's right Autumn, and you know it!" chimed in Sarah. "I'm afraid my friends, that I have not yet gotten everyone I need to out of the way. You and Dorothy's pesky little daughter Rosaria, still need to be terminated. And it will not be on my hands this time, for I have followers now to take care of you, and I have a bit of an incentive that will make Rosaria come to me."  
  
Autumn then lifted up Emily, whom she'd trapped in a glass case. Emily banged on the sides of it as Jason, Darien and Rosaria stood on the ground, watching in horror. "Release her!" cried Jason. Rosaria tried to speak, but she faltered and nothing came out when she opened her mouth. "Come to my castle if you ever want to see her alive again!" Autumn cackled as she disappeared.   
  
The witch reappeared and said quietly to the guards at the main doors, "Burn the stadium, make sure that everyone within it dies except Rosaria." The hooded figures before Autumn nodded silently, ready and willing to obey her orders.   
  
Jason was in a frenzy, not exactly sure what to do. Scarecrow shouted down to Rosaria from the seats, "Use your flyers and go rescue Emily!" Rosaria said. "I will, I love you my friends." "Good luck Rosaria!" Tin Man and Lion said simultaneously. Darien had heard, and did as told. He got on his flyer and took off out of the stadium. Rosaria was about to follow, but she suddenly stopped when she saw Jason charge at one of Autumn's guards.  
  
"Jason no! Stop!" she screamed, running for her friend. "You LOUSY...." Jason shouted as he ruthlessly beat the guard. "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH EMILY AGAIN YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING..." The other guards became aware of what Jason was doing and went to stop him. Darien immediately came back down and stopped Rosaria as she tried to get to Jason, tears streaming down her face.   
  
"NO, JASON! PLEASE DON'T!" Guards surrounded Jason, their bows drawn, and ten arrows pierced Jason's heart, killing him. Rosaria was too shocked to move and fell to her knees, the weight of Jason's death pulling her down, but Darien kept a level head, and knew that they had to get out of there quickly, for Rosaria's aunts were being lined up for execution at that very moment, and he knew not if they were next. He picked Rosaria up and ran to where Emily's flyer rested. Darien put Rosaria on the back seat of Emily's flyer and they began to rise above the stadium.   
  
Rosaria looked back, seeing flames being lit at each corner, and Jason's blood seeping out onto the race track. Smoke rose into the air, making Oz black with horror. The people in the cities were ordered to lock their doors. Rosaria saw her aunts and Lion being shot to death with arrows one at a time. Alyssa was the last in line, and looked up at her niece with tears streaming down her face, as she whispered, "I'll be with you soon!" The arrow then hit her neck, and Alyssa fell to the ground with her comrades. Scarecrow was burned, Tin Man taken apart, and the rest of the people were left to die of smoke inhalation and burns.  
  
Rosaria could watch no longer and tore her eyes away from the horrible scene as Darien kicked into high speed heading toward the Wicked Witch's castle. "Don't worry Rosaria." said Darien. "Everything will be all right...somehow." He desperately wanted to cry, but choked back his tears as to not further upset Rosaria.   
  
"Jason," Rosaria spoke quietly. "Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and all my aunts, they've been slaughtered, as well as all those innocent people. There were young children in that crowd. How will everything be all right if I must live without them? Devoid of happiness is what my life will be. I would rather die, we're better off in the hands of God than here in this hell!" "For now, we have to worry about saving Emily and that is all." Rosaria wiped the tears from her face, and nodded solemnly.  
  
Dorothy appeared floating next to the flyer, but Rosaria knew to say nothing. Dorothy spoke, "Ordinary beauty belongs to those who hold close their own hearts, but only those with eyes that shine eternal shall be called a goddess. Remember Rosaria, the heart is the wellspring of all things. If you don't believe, you can never begin to love. And without love, you cannot possibly succeed." Dorothy then suddenly disappeared, leaving Rosaria with a new understanding of what she must do.   
  
Darien landed the flyer on a ledge outside the witch's castle. He looked at his lovely companion. "Rosaria? Look at me." Rosaria lifted her eyes to meet with Darien's. "Last night, I had a dream. I will not forget the depths of your eyes. The wind, the sky, surely will wipe away all our pain inside. I love you." They embraced. Rosaria whispered softly from within Darien's arms, "And I love you!"  
  
That's the next chapter. There will only be two more at the most. I love writing this story, and I hope you're enjoying reading it. Keep going...we're almost done! *does a happy jig*  
  
~*Tori*~ 


	26. The End

Emily stayed in the box in a room alone where the witch had put her. She cried silently to herself, knowing that her friends would do all they could for her. Emily had had a rough life thus far, her mother was dead, and her siblings were grown up so they weren't always there for her. Emily had lost her faith long ago, but for the first time in a long time, thought it might help to pray, knowing it couldn't hurt.   
  
'God,' Emily prayed. 'I ask for nothing except that your will be done. Whatever is best for all of us, please make sure it is so, and let no one stand in your way. Amen.'   
  
"How are we going to get inside the castle?" asked Darien. Rosaria thought for a moment. "I'm not sure Darien, we'd better take a moment to think about it." As they sat there pondering how to penetrate the guards at all doors of the massive castle, Dorothy appeared sitting next to Rosaria. "He's very handsome isn't he?" Dorothy giggled, but Rosaria frowned, thinking, 'We cannot talk about that now mother. We must figure out a way to enter the castle.'  
  
Darien looked over at Rosaria and saw that her necklace was glowing as she was, unknown to him, talking telepathically to Dorothy. "Rosaria," he said. "What are you doing?" Rosaria stumbled for words. "Well, see, it's hard to explain...um..." "Rosaria," said Dorothy. "Use the necklace's power and he will see me." Rosaria closed her eyes and whispered to Darien, "I'll show you." A soft golden glow emitted from the necklace, and there appeared Queen Dorothy Castine Callo.   
  
Darien gasped, his eyes wide, his lungs without air, his heart pounding. "Queen Dorothy? But...how?" "It's a long story." said Dorothy. "I have not the time to explain it, and neither have you the time to listen, just know that everything is all right and not to be afraid." Darien nodded as Rosaria took his hand nodding and saying, "It's ok Darien. Mother will help us."   
  
"Your highness, how do you think we should get into the castle? Going through the front would be much too hazardous." "Yes, please help us mother. We haven't the slightest idea of what to do." "Have I taught you nothing daughter?" Dorothy asked with a grin on her face. "Use the necklace. Do not forget, along with the power of the Rose, the necklace also posses the power of the ruby slippers and it can transport you into the castle at your command."   
  
Rosaria smiled. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Dorothy smiled. Darien's eyes glazed with tears. "Your highness?" he asked. "Are Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion dead?" Rosaria's gaze suddenly intensified as her mother nodded. "Yes, they are. But fear not, everything will turn out right. You must now focus on Emily and what you can do for Oz. That is all you need worry about. I'll be watching you, if I see that you need help, I will be there." "Thank you mother." Dorothy kissed Rosaria's forehead. "We will be together soon my darling." Dorothy said, and then she disappeared.  
  
A light of understanding overwhelmed Rosaria, and she was shown the destiny she needed to fulfill. A tear fell as she tightly shut her eyes, not wanting to listen to Lady Fate, but knowing somewhere in her heart that she must. "Oh Darien." she said softly. "This night was born from silence. I know this is the perfect chance to save one of my best friends, but I hesitate. For there is so much to live for, yet there is so much to die for! If only my heart could decide!" Darien cocked an eyebrow, but his features softened as he put his hands on Rosaria's shoulders.  
  
"Listen to me, do not fear Rosaria. You heard your mother, everything will be all right, everything will happen as it should. Now come on, we have to get Emily out of there." Rosaria closed her eyes, preparing to use her power, thinking, 'Everything will happens as it should? But that is what I fear!' The red stones of the necklace began to glow as Rosaria said, "Take us to Emily."   
  
...When their vision cleared, Emily was smiling, saying from within her captivity, "I new you would come, quick, get me out of this thing!" Darien approached the box and attempted to open it, but he could not. "This thing is locked tight Rosaria." Rosaria approached the box and placed her hand upon it. Her eyes began to glow, and her wings stretched themselves as a golden light shot from her hand, causing the box to disappear. Emily stood and hugged her friends, but noticed the absence of perhaps her closest friend, Jason.   
  
"Where's Jason?" Emily saw Darien quickly look away, so she turned to Rosaria. "Rosaria, what's wrong? What happened? Please tell me!" Emily's voice elevated as she spoke. Rosaria put on a smile for her friend. "Why would you think something would be wrong? Jason is simply not with us." Rosaria hated lying, but she could not stand to see Emily cry right now, for she had not the strength for it.   
  
"I can tell that you are telling me half truths and whole lies Rosaria." said Emily frowning. "That's ridiculous Emily, even if that was true, how would you be able to tell such a thing?" "Because I am your friend Rosaria, and friends are the ones who see the hurt in your eyes when everyone else is fooled by your smile. I am surely nobody's fool, you know that very well. So one of you tell me, what happened? Where is Jason?"   
  
"Right here my dear girl." Came a bone-chilling voice from the door. Autumn stood there holding Jason's corpse in her hands. She placed him gently on the floor and Emily ran to him as Darien took hold of Rosaria, who could not bare seeing his bloodstained body again. "Oh Jason, no, please don't leave me! We love you so much, I love you so much, please don't go."   
  
"The boy died bravely." said Autumn. "He was killed while fighting for you. He fought valiantly, he obviously felt very strongly for you." Emily looked away from the body, regretting never telling Jason how she felt. Emily backed away from the witch slowly to stand next to Darien, who stepped in front of her, readying himself to fight, but Rosaria knew that she must battle Autumn. She put out a hand to stop Darien. "This is my battle." she said. He understood and took a step back to stand next to Emily. "Good girl, Rosaria." said Autumn with a chuckle.  
  
Rosaria closed her eyes, a golden light shining from under her eyelids. As her eyes opened, two rays of hopeful light glowed in the darkness of the room. Rosaria reached out her hand, and took hold of a sword, that appeared as she motioned her hand downward. It was white, and it glowed brilliantly. Autumn reached out her hand and pulled away a sword as well, only the witch's sword was black, and dark energy surrounded it.   
  
Autumn spoke, "With this sword, I spilled onto the floor the blood of your mother and father. It shall serve me again and your blood will spill tonight, Princess Rosaria Castine Callo. Have you prepared yourself for death little girl? Or are you afraid?" Autumn laughed.   
  
Rosaria said in spite of the evil woman, "There is nothing that I fear. A racing heart is much better. I have great dreams for the future, that's why I shall go on bravely. I am the light which embraces everything, a soldier born from love for all. And tonight, love will redeem this world." Emily and Darien exchanged concerned looks.  
  
Autumn charged at Rosaria, her black sword in front of her, ready to strike, and for a moment, time stood still. Dorothy appeared next to her daughter, but only Rosaria could see her this time. Dorothy gripped the handle of the sword with Rosaria, and poured her power into it. Rosaria pulled the sword in front of herself, and Autumn was thrown back by its intense strength.  
  
Autumn looked up just in time to see Rosaria charging at her. Rosaria saw that Autumn had noticed her approach, and so as Autumn stood to attack, Rosaria spread her wings and flew over Autumn. Rosaria landed in back of the witch and sliced across the evil woman's back, not cutting too deep. Black blood seeped from Autumn's wound, and her eyes glowed with a black light as a smile crept on to her face.  
  
"I see that you are a valiant warrior Rosaria and that in hand to hand combat, I will not triumph. But I will destroy this world and everyone within it, no matter what you do." Autumn threw her head back and when she looked back down at Rosaria she said, "Look out the window you horrible little brat, and behold the hell you're about to face!" She began to cackle. Rosaria looked out the window with her friends. Emily let out a scream stifled by her fear, and Darien just stood there his mouth agape and his eyes wide. What they saw, was an immense ball of fire in the desert, headed straight for Oz!   
  
Dorothy appeared next to Rosaria, who turned to face Autumn. Autumn fell to her knees, the black light fading from her eyes. "Dorothy?!" Emily and Darien also got on their knees, praying. Dorothy said in a booming voice, "Autumn, I love Oz, as does my daughter. You know that you will never be able to outmatch our power. Reverse this flame, and we shall spare you." Autumn frowned. "Never!" she said.  
  
Dorothy shook her head. "Autumn, I loved you dearly, like a sister, and this hollow shell which you present to us here is not the Autumn McQue that I loved so much!" Dorothy let the power of the rose overcome her, and the golden wings spread from her back, making a flowing white gown matching that of her daughter's appear on her.   
  
Rosaria and Dorothy both stretched out their hands, and did a motion which brought the spirit of the young school girl that they loved come forward and separate from the body of the evil witch. The wicked witch did not care so much, but the spirit of Autumn McQue, the girl with a pure heart, said in a clear voice, "I am so sorry Dorothy, I never meant for this to happen. That woman is not me!" "I know Autumn. Now you can help us." Autumn nodded. She closed her eyes and put her hand on top of Dorothy's.  
  
There appeared the spirits of David, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and all of the girls. Dave said, "We forgive you Autumn." The girls nodded solemnly and Autumn joined them. Dave turned to Rosaria. "I love you daughter." She smiled. Along with Rosaria, they stood in a half-circle, holding out their hands and a bright light slowly began to build. The wicked witch screamed. "NO! IT CAN'T BE!" Darien held Emily, who kept her eyes tightly shut.   
  
The people in the cities fled to the churches and other places of worship. The streets were completely chaotic, but still, all of the people helped each other. The people at the Kvon Altar all fell to their knees and together prayed as they saw the approaching fire. The children screamed, the women cried, and then men did all they could to calm their families. But suddenly, no one feared any longer, the entire land fell silent. Darien looked up, and the last sight he saw was Rosaria's face turned towards him, tears streaming from her glowing eyes, mouthing slowly to him, "I love you my darling." The light then reached its peak.  
  
And from within the tower of the castle came a brilliant light, which rang out with a flash and the sound of thunder. The light flooded all the land, Heaven came upon the earth, and all within the land of Oz perished in its glory, leaving none that knew of the great land of Oz in the parallel to remember it, for just as the light touched the land of Oz, Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke simultaneously had heart attacks and died at their dinner table. The people with pure hearts were taken into the hands of God, while the wicked were left to burn forever in their own ashes alone.   
  
And after the light had lifted, and the souls were carried to God's eternal paradise, nothing was left but the ruins. The ruins of the great cities of Oz and the homes in which the Ozian people lived out their lives were left to the silence. Nothing remained, nothing but the echoing sounds of laughter, the many memories, and the spirit that started it all.   
  
All that was meant to be was fulfilled in this moment. The wicked witch of Oz was left to eternal seclusion in hell, while the young spirit of Autumn McQue was taken into the kingdom of God, finally free from her captivity. Emily and Jason were reunited, and were able to finally express the love for each other that they never could in life. Rosaria and her family were together at last, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion could be with Dorothy again, and Darien rested eternally in Rosaria's embrace.   
  
The sun set in Oz, never to rise again, and Oz was left to disintegrate in the darkness, leaving but one light to guide the Ozian people to eternity. The only light to be seen, was the soft glow of an undying heart. A heart of a Goddess, and her daughter.  
  
And so ends the epic tale of the great land of Oz. 


	27. Final Author's Notes

Hey! Ok...here are the final author's notes everybody!

I have received many questions. People have been asking me simply why I have ended the story like this. I knew that if I didn't end it like this, the story would be never-ending, and I would not have the willpower to leave it alone...I would be forced to continue it.

People asked me about Autumn and the girls. Yes, all of those girls are based on my friends in real life, most of whom have the same or similar names as I wrote in the story. (but none of my friends are evil...at least I don't think they are) The characters have, for the most part, the exact personalities of my friends, which vary greatly, making it easy to write about as well as fun. The school days I based on the millions of sleep-overs and parties.

Dorothy I wanted to make different from the stereotypical Judy Garland version of Dorothy Gale, and so, I based her on myself. (MINUS THE PERFECTION AND GODDESS PART) Dave is based on my boyfriend, whose name is really VITO (cool huh?) who is the love of my life. sighs Couldn't use his name because it's WAY too Italian. The First Date chapter was (according to the real b/f) EXACTLY what he was thinking before our first date. See? I did my research for this story.

I began writing Awakening: A Wizard of Oz Continuation, in November of 2002, my inspiration being nothing more than my love for the stories and my longing to find an ending to them. It's now May of 2003, that's six months of writing. It was a lot of work and staying up late, but I genuinely enjoyed writing this because I love the Wizard of Oz so much. Wicked was a kick ass book...BUY IT!

I hope you enjoyed this story. E-mail me at and tell me what you thought. I will be writing more, I'll see you then! Thank you all for reading.

Love Always,

Tori 


	28. BACK IN ACTION!

I've decided to put this story up again. YAAAAAY! I'm excited to see how it does now. I put my heart and soul into this, so to all the new readers....ENJOY!  
  
~*Tori*~ 


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